The Ninth Sekirei Pillar
by Arthain
Summary: The Elemental Nations are in ruins, the villages are destroyed, and the last of the Shinobi are on the run. Naruto's last ditch effort to stop Madara lands him and his last companion in a new world. A world in which a brutal tournament is taking place and the prize could mean the total destruction of both this new world, and his old one.
1. Prologue: The End of an Era

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own. **

**I've decided to jump back into writing again. I have all these ideas for this story and a very interesting and, I hope, unique way of tying Sekirei with Naruto. As of the time of this posting I've currently written the first 6 chapters (including the prologue) and have over 50,000 words in total written down. I can't say how quickly I'll update but it won't be any quicker than once a week, but it shouldn't be any longer than once every three. It will depend on how fast I write. **

**Note: Just a quick note before I start. I don't know Japanese. I've tried to use some translators to change the unique techniques to their Romaji, or whatever, language but the translation is a word for word conversion so it has lost some meaning in the carry over so hopefully people that are fluent in Japanese don't judge me to harshly on it. And in fact if you could send me a PM with a more grammatically correct version of it I'd probably go back and change it and give you credit for helping me. A list of jutsu's used will be listed at the bottom with what the english translation SHOULD be. Most of them are standard ones taken from the Naruto Wikia.**

**The Ninth Sekirei Pillar  
**

**Prologue: The End of an Era**

Three shadows sped through the dark undergrowth of the forest as they leapt from branch to branch. Their sandals made not even a whisper as they hurried towards their destination: A small clearing less than three miles away.

Behind them, a ways in the distance, was a burned out smoking shelter. It used to be a mighty underground complex situated beneath a small shack buried deep within the lands of Konohagakure. Multiple levels filled with training grounds, storerooms, sleeping areas, amenities and everything else required to survive. Now the shelter and it's underground complex was nothing more than a mass of burnt out rooms, collapsed tunnels and a smoldering shack. The corpses of multiple ninjas lay strewn around the shack while the final sparking embers of a massive fire claimed the last vestiges of that sanctuary.

It had been the last stronghold of the free ninjas. All of the great villages had been reduced to nothing more than ashes and rubble. The great Shinobi Alliance had crumbled and collapsed.

During the last days of the war, when Obito and Madara had faced off against Naruto, Kakashi, Gai and Kirabi, there had been hope. Kakashi and Gai had given it their all, and had beaten Obito. Gai opened all 8 celestial gates and when Obito had used Kamui to avoid a wide area attack, Kakashi had sent Gai into the same dimension with Kamui as well. Using all the power provided by the 8 celestial gates Gai had erupted into a massive explosion of chakra and had ruptured the dimensional pocket. Obito and Gai died instantly when the dimension exploded. The backlash from the dimensional explosion killed Kakashi when his Sharingan ruptured and the excess chakra that had escaped from that dimension exploded in his head.

Unfortunately Madara wasn't so easily killed. Neither Naruto nor Kirabi with their tailed beasts could defeat Madara. They learned the hard way that brute strength alone wouldn't win the day. Gyuki had ultimately been chained and captured by Madara. Kurama would have shared the same fate had it not been for the timely arrival of the Kage's and their support. Naruto had fought a valiant battle but no matter how much he had damaged Madara, it would just heal itself within moments.

Naruto was carried away from the battle while the Kage's had fought to keep Madara at bay. They fought a losing battle, a delaying tactic. They knew they couldn't win, but their goal wasn't to kill Madara. It was to buy enough time for Naruto to be taken to safety.

They succeeded, but were never seen again.

After the final titanic battle Madara went on to devastate Shinobi Armies. The regular troops couldn't stand against him. They tried, oh how they had tried, thousands threw themselves at Madara in a vain attempt to stop him, but in the end it had been for naught. In the end they lost everything that day. The majority of those that had survived had fled back to their respective villages until they were ultimately destroyed. Only the few ninja that had decided to flee into hiding, away from any particular village, were still alive to this day. As for those that had held onto hope that they could defeat Madara, they had retreated back to Konoha to regain their strength. They spent a great deal of time and money constructing secret bases throughout the land of Konohagakure. They knew it was only a matter of time before Madara came knocking, and for someone who could drop meteors out of the blue open sky, they needed a hidden base more than an open city like Konoha.

It has been eight years since that fateful day when the Shinobi Alliance had been destroyed. Seven years since Konoha, the last of the hidden villages was destroyed, and only an hour since Madara had found their last stronghold, the others having been found and obliterate one by one over the past seven years.

No more though. The final stronghold had been destroyed and of those that had resisted, only three remained. Those three were now on their way to the clearing ahead. They had been preparing for this day for several years now; the clearing had been converted into a giant sealing array. Brute strength couldn't defeat Madara, the only way to defeat him is to seal away the chakra in the body. Doing this would cause the body to disintegrate as the chakra that maintained it was no longer able to be replenished. It would reduce the body to its original components which couldn't be used to house a living soul by itself. Unfortunately Madara was too quick and powerful for anything to be applied externally. This meant the only way to seal his chakra was to get close enough to seal his chakra internally. Which brought to light another issue, no one that could do the sealing was strong enough to get that close.

A faint sound behind the trio got Shikamaru's attention as he tilted his head to listen. They were being followed, and by the sounds of it their pursuer was catching up. There was no need to guess who it was. It was the same individual that had destroyed their last stronghold.

Uchiha Madara

Shikamaru sighed as he combed his hand through his hair. "Troublesome..." he muttered under his breath as he looked down at his feet. He knew what had to be done. This was their last chance, their last hope. If Naruto was caught here, it was all over. It may be over already, Naruto's plan may not even work, but it was the only chance they had left.

He stopped and turned to face the way they had come. When it came to delaying abilities, there were none better than him, especially beneath the dense canopies of the trees they were traveling through.

Naruto looked over his shoulder at his friend and stopped when he noticed Shikamaru had stopped moving, "Shikarmaru? What are..." he stopped himself. He knew. "I'll never forget you old friend." Naruto said simply as he held a hand over his heart.

Shikamaru nodded his head and smiled, although he knew his friend couldn't see it. "I'll buy you enough time to prepare, now go. Don't make all this troublesome effort useless."

Naruto smiled lightly. Even until the end Shikamaru never changed. "Don't worry, this'll work. Madara dies today." And with that he sped off into the trees once more.

Shikamaru fished around in his flak jacket before pulling out a cigarette. "My last one." He mourned sorrowfully, "But then, I suppose I won't need any more after this." He said softly to himself as he lit it with a quick application of Katon chakra.

Shikamaru thought back to everything that had happened to him in the past. The academy and graduating with all his friends and peers. Their carefree attitude in the early days joking around and enjoying life with Asuma before he had been killed. Taking care of Kurenai and her child afterwards, ensuring that they, at least, lived long and happy lives. Only to hold their corpses in his arms after Madara had swept through Konoha like a firestorm.

Shikamaru smiled softly as he remembered the day his own daughter had been born. Temari had almost ripped his arm from its socket and swore she'd never do something like that again. A tear dripped down his face, both of them were now dead, buried under tons of rock when the bottom level of the shelter had collapsed.

"Ups and downs, all I wanted was a nice easy life, and I get a bumpy ride the entire way." Shikamaru sighed softly as he sucked on the stick. "But despite everything, despite how troublesome life has been for me. I'm glad I was able to live it."

Shikamaru looked into the shadows of the under bough. Soon, he'd have to act soon. Madara wouldn't stop for him, he was small fry compared to what had gone on ahead. He'd have to make him stop.

Shikamaru didn't know how long he stood there, on edge, waiting for the right moment, but he dimly noted with a slight regret that it came before he finished his cigarette. His hands blurred through the signs of the well practiced technique. "**Kage Shihai no Jutsu**!" Shikamaru shouted as he finished his hand signs and pushed his chakra into the shadows around him. There were plenty of shadows around him, which was good, it made this technique much easier, and far more powerful. Shikamaru's shadow expanded and began to envelope everything around him. As his shadow touched the shadows of the various foliage and trees around him they merged and became one with his and began to expand as well. It only took a few seconds but soon every shadow within a 500 metre radius had come under his dominion.

Just in time too as Madara landed on the branch in front of Shikamaru and became ensnared in the shadows. Madara hadn't changed much over the years, not that he could being stuck in that immortal undead body. He was still clothed almost entirely in black with dark red breastplate, shoulder plates and hip plates. The only significant change was that Madara had attached a large Kama to the opposite end of the chain of the large Uchiha Gunbai fan strapped to his back.

Madara frowned as he looked down on Shikamaru, "Pathetic, if you had simply ran and hid you wouldn't have had to die." Madara said, contempt in his voice. Madara was the penultimate shinobi. There were none stronger than him, he was even more powerful than Hashirama was in the old days.

"Heh, it probably would have been less troublesome to do that." Shikarmaru admitted as he struggled to hold the powerful juggernaut in place. "But I'd never be able to live with myself if I did that, and consider this revenge for murdering my wife and child when you destroyed my home. I'm not normally a vengeful person, but I'm making an exception for you."

"You peons are only delaying the inevitable." Madara sneered. Oh how he loathed these ants. They constantly nipped at his ankles, annoying him. "It doesn't matter where the host of Kyubi goes, I have his trail now."

Shikamaru just chuckled lightly eliciting a growl from Madara. It was odd how all these super powered villains acted the same. Cocky, self-assured, arrogant, and completely and utterly blind to their own impending downfall. They also seemed to very much enjoy the sound of their own voice.

The minutes ticked away, as Shikamaru felt his control over the shadows, and by proxy Madara, become more and more strained. He had been able to bind Naruto for nearly half a day with this technique. But it seemed it was barely enough to hold Madara for ten minutes.

There! In the distance Shikamaru felt a sudden flare of chakra. Naruto had activated the first set of seals placed in the clearing. The last set of seals would be unleashed the moment Madara arrived. Shikamaru looked up and stared directly into Madara's eyes and smiled as his control broke over his technique broke. It didn't matter anymore, he had delayed the monster long enough. He knew he was dead from the start but at least his end had meaning.

Madara, too, had sensed the chakra flare in the distance. He didn't know what the cause was but it annoyed him to no end that he had been delayed as long as he had. "**Katon: Gōka Messhitsu!**" Madara shouted in a fit of rage as he unleashed a massive stream of fire at Shikamaru and the surrounding forest. The flames erupted violently as they ripped through the forest and everything in the area. A smiling Shikamaru had only one final thought before he was disintegrated with everything else.

_How troublesome..._

**x~X~x**

Naruto winced as a massive explosion shook the forest and an orange glow became visible on the horizon. Whatever it was that Shikamaru had done to stall Madara was over now and it was going to be up to them. He only hoped that Shikamaru had some sort of escape plan put in place otherwise that was going to be one more friend he'd have to bury after Madara was killed.

At least the first, and most difficult, part of the sealing array had been initiated. He had saturated the clearing with his chakra. He wouldn't be able to use it, but the sealing array will utilize it to create the area of effect they desired.

Naruto looked over to his companion, she wasn't small by any means, standing at 5'8", but she was definitely shorter than his six feet. She had long, straight, dark brown hair that went down past her shoulder blades, covered her ears and had a few bangs that stubbornly dangled in front of her face. On her feet was a pair of black ninja sandals that kept the toes uncovered and free. She wore a small black vest that went down to just above her belly button and was cut low enough to show off some cleavage. The vest had a white lightning pattern etched into its edges and it went over a fishnet top that covered nothing more than her C-cup breasts. She had a flat, toned stomach with a near perfect hourglass figure that would make most women jealous. Her legs were clothed with skin tight shorts that ended just above the knees and around her neck rested a hitate bearing the symbol of the Shinobi Alliance. Her only adornments were a pair of earrings in the shape of a small spiral with a ruby in the center and a ring, just a plain silver band with a small, simple diamond in the center, on the ring finger of her right hand. The most striking thing about her entire ensemble was her eyes; the pale, pupiless white eyes that all Hyuga bore.

Naruto honestly didn't know how he would have turned out if it weren't for his companion. She had been a constant at his side for many years. Although her insistent nagging that he ditch the orange could be done without. His ensemble hadn't changed very much over the years. He still wore his hitate around his forehead and still wore the red cloak with black flames that was reminiscent of his father. However his orange pants had been replaced with black ones that had a thick orange strip going down either side. His orange and black sweater had been replaced with a T-shirt of the same color and design. In addition he now had a green bandoleer strapped across his chest with numerous scrolls in it. A couple scrolls held supplies like food, water, and change of clothing, but most of them had seals written within them. Most of them dealt with chakra manipulation of some kind such as sealing chakra, transferring it from one location to another and various forms of chakra manipulation that caused disruptions or changes in someone's chakra flow. Unfortunately with the exception of the one he was currently using they required direct contact for it to work, something Madara wasn't going to allow.

Naruto had spent the better part of the past seven years preparing for this day. He had poured every ounce of his spirit, will, determination and drive into learning Fuinjutsu. He had a plan, and he'd like to think that it was foolproof, but he knew that testing experimental sealing methods on an over-powered, god-like entity that showed no remorse, no mercy, and wouldn't allow for a second chance, or even a second of breathing room, wasn't exactly the greatest of ideas.

It was right up there along with his brilliant idea to mention Temari's weight when she was pregnant. That was the day that Naruto discovered what 'true' terror really was. All the tailed-beasts combined couldn't manifest enough killing intent to match even a fraction of what Temari was bearing down on him at that moment in his life.

It was also that day that Naruto learned a very valuable life lesson. Never mention a women's weight, ever, for any reason.

He still had the scars to prove he gone through 'that' particular lesson.

Right now Naruto's greatest Fuinjutsu technique, and probably the greatest ever conceived by anyone, was laid out before him. He normally had a large scroll strapped to his back but right now it was spread out in front of him. It was nearly twenty feet in length, and three feet in height. It contained countless seals and symbols detailing what he was about to do. The scroll was the key, without it the sealing array in the clearing was nothing more than a bunch of useless ninja wired spread out in a pattern beneath the dirt. Naruto looked around and admired his seal. He was very proud of his creation. This seal, if it worked, would forever put him in the history books as the greatest Fuinjutsu master of all time.

To be honest everyone had been at a loss of what to do when they had returned from the battlefield to Konoha after Madara had devastated everyone. Naruto, being the knucklehead that he was, figured they simply needed bigger, badder, stronger weapons and headed in that direction. For the first time in his life, Naruto actually sat down and started to do some research.

It didn't get him very far though. No Ninjutsu technique he found or thought of ever seemed to have a large enough impact to actually deal lasting damage to the immortal undead shinobi that was Madara. Any attack powerful enough to destroy Madara was too slow and cumbersome to either set up, or let lose, to hit Madara before he activated Susanoo. Oddly enough it wasn't until he branched out into Kenjutsu that he actually found an answer to his problem.

In particular he had read about legendary weapons hoping that they could even the tide. Samehada gave Naruto the idea about stealing the chakra from Madara but figured it was too big and bulky for anyone but a select few, whom were all dead, to actually hit Madara with it. Then he came across the Sword of Totsuka and its sealing ability. This seemed like an even better idea than Samehada but unfortunately the sword was lost and no one knew where it currently was, they didn't have time to look for it. But that had given Naruto the idea that there were other ways of sealing chakra. The Sword of Totsuka wasn't the only thing that could do that. The Hyuga had the ability to seal off peoples Tenketsu, but if the strike was stronger, deeper, it could rupture the chakra channel itself and prevent anymore chakra from flowing through that part of the body.

The more Naruto had thought about this possibility the more a plan began to formulate. There were plenty of Hyuga left and there were several that had the strength to rupture the chakra channels. If they could get a Hyuga close enough to Madara, and keep him still long enough for a Hyuga to do their **Hakke Jutsu** then Madara could be conceivably defeated.

The only problem was getting someone close enough, and keeping Madara still long enough, for such an act to go through.

And that's when Naruto came across the third legendary weapon that gave him the answer: The Gae Bolg. According to the legend the weapon always hits its target. That's not because it has unerring accuracy or because some mystical property guided it to its destination, no, it was because it reversed causality. The spear always hit its target because you weren't thrusting to pierce the target, but thrusting because the target had already 'been' pierced. While the spear itself probably doesn't exist anymore, if it had ever existed, however it was the concept behind that, the reversal of causality, that was the key that Naruto had been looking for.

If he could create a seal that reversed causality, even for a moment, a Hyuga could hit Madara with the **Hakke Jutsu**. Madara wouldn't be able to stop it simply because he had already 'been' hit with the technique. The Hyuga was simply going through the motions because the effect had already occurred. Madara could dodge, run, teleport, or fire any Ninjutsu that he wanted and the attack would still connect.

Naruto had no illusions about his survival chances. Yes, if this seal worked Madara was going to die. Unfortunately the counter-attack that Madara would unleash during the attack would hit whatever target he wanted, and neither Naruto nor his companion would be able to stop it. There wasn't any time to localize the seal to a single person or technique, it was a wide spread area so everyone within its field was under its effect. The only way to pull this off was to hit Madara before he realized the effect of the sealing array, and pray.

Crashing in the forest could be heard clearly as larges branches were ripped from their trunks and smaller trees were torn apart entirely. It sounded like a couple of boss level summons were wrestling although Naruto knew better. It was Madara bulldozing his way through the forest towards the clearing. Naruto grimaced as he readied himself for what was to come. Madara was obviously very… perturbed by the delay that Shikamaru had caused him.

"I hope you're ready." Naruto said as he looked over at his companion. "I don't believe Madara is going to be in much of a talking mood when he gets here."

"I'll be fine; you just make sure the seal works properly, your stuff has a tendency to blow up in your face more often than not." She said with a smirk as she remembered the initial results of his climatized sealing scrolls that were supposed to keep his ramen warm while inside. Naruto had been comatose for a week afterwards, devastated by the loss of two years worth of ramen. "I've been preparing myself for this day for three years now, ever since he killed my sister. I swear my ghost will haunt your ghost for the rest of time if you mess this seal up like the others."

"Love you too." Naruto quipped lightly, and he really did, he knew she didn't mean anything she said. She, more than anyone, understood just how much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears he had poured into this research She knew just how much he had been forced to sacrifice to see it come to fruition. She was simply like this in combat situations, very snarky. Many had believed it was her coping mechanism with what was to come. She had to distance herself from domestic persona otherwise she was never able to function at full capacity. She wasn't always like this; this persona had arisen the day her father had died. Another persona had arisen the day her sister had died, one that seemed to dominate outside of combat situations. Naruto had a feeling that she was trying to live two lives, one for her sister and one for herself.

Naruto eyed the ring on her hand; it was also probably the reason why she had said yes.

There was something else he had kept from the women standing near him. The real reason her sister had died. Madara may have killed her, but…

Naruto shook his head, he had to focus, now wasn't the time to travel down memory lane. He quickly began to focus his chakra into his hands, Madara was getting very close. There would be a slight delay in the array as the chakra spread through the clearing so he would have to activate the sealing array before Madara had actually arrived. Even then he would probably have to keep Madara busy for a bit.

"This will work; I have to believe this will work. I spent years perfecting this, making sure every aspect of it was correct. I spent an entire year just double checking everything." The build of energy was reaching a crescendo; a visible blue glow gathered around Naruto's hands and lower arms. "Just be ready for my shout." Naruto looked up and growled, there wasn't any more time as he could literally see Madara as he charged through the last of the forest.

Thankfully he didn't need any more time. "**Gen'inkekka Gyakuten Fuin**" Naruto whispered under his breath, no need to alert Madara to what he was doing, as he pushed his chakra through his hands and into the scroll, thus sending the chakra through the seal and starting the whole process.

Chakra flashed quickly through the key scroll, riding along the paths scrawled throughout the scroll. Each path was very important, being twenty five in all; one for each of the primary elements, and one for each of the secondary elements. This sealing array was warping the very fabric of the universe; it required a total control and dominion over all the elements in a given area. Naruto only had three affinities, lighting, water and wind, with wind being his strongest. Therefore to create all twenty five elements he needed something to convert his regular chakra into the respective elements, hence the key scroll. Once the chakra had been converted and shaped in the key scroll it would exit out of its exit point into what Naruto had dubbed a 'Nexus'. This Nexus would store and amplify the elemental chakra before sending it along the wire to mix with the other elements. When all twenty five types of elemental chakra mixed together it would create what the others had called the 'Prime Chakra Element'.

Naruto had wanted to call it the 'Ramen Element' but after a major beat down by everyone within hearing distance he decided to go with what the majority had decided. Naruto still thought his initial idea was logical. Ramen was the food of the Gods, and this was basically the God Element so it only stood reason that the element should be named Ramen.

What Naruto was trying to do was theoretically possible, but even Shikamaru wasn't able to say 100% whether or not this would work in actuality. It should occur that way, but this was an unprecedented undertaking. Naruto was stepping into an area no one has gone before. Nothing was certain until after the fact.

As the energy began shooting across the chakra conducting ninja wire that was buried in the ground Naruto knew he had to buy a little more time. It would take a few minutes for the chakra to make it through the entire grid and mix completely.

Naruto reacted quickly as his flashed through a series of hand signs, "**Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku!**" Naruto fire a massive sphere of compressed air at the on-coming Madara. While most people could fire a sphere of compressed air a couple meters in diameter, Naruto had far more chakra to expend and his covered almost the width of the entire clearing. The ball of compressed air screamed across the clearing as the wind currents in the area were warped by the massive attack.

Madara however wasn't taken by surprise, or if he was it didn't affect his reaction time. "**Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu**!" Madara shouted as he blew out a massive stream of fire that coalesced into the form of a mighty dragon's head. He didn't even need hand signs to do it, a testament to how powerful the eldest Uchiha was. The fire dragon shot forward with its mouth wide open as it slammed into the massive wind attack. Normally fire would overpower wind and become enhanced by it but Naruto had pumped so much chakra into his attack that the two simply nullified each other.

But that was all Madara needed, an opening. As his fire attack ripped the wind attack in half a massive explosion erupted that sent fire and wind spinning out of control in every direction. As Madara shot through the firestorm emerged like a raging god he wasn't prepared for Naruto to be right in front of him.

"**Fūton: Rasengan!**" Naruto shouted as he shoved the spinning ball of wind chakra into Madara's face. Being in mid-air Madara had nowhere to escape to.

Or at least that was Naruto's plan. He had counted on Madara throwing his kama into the ground below him and yanking on the chain to alter his trajectory. This gave Madara enough room, and time, to swing his Gunbai up and block Naruto's attack.

There was a fizzling sound as the Rasengan was absorbed by the large battle fan before a bright light erupted and the energy of the attack was released back out towards Naruto in a massive cone of destructive energy. A poof sounded; the tell-tale sound that a Kage Bunshin had just expired.

Madara quickly looked around for the missing Naruto only to find him below wielding a wind encased kunai. Naruto quickly lashed out with the kunai, but not at Madara. No he was aiming at the chain that bound the Kama to the Gunbai. A soft 'shink' was heard as the chain was severed easily by the chakra enhanced weapon. Naruto didn't want Madara to have that weapon available when it came time to put him down for good.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**" Madara yelled as he spat a massive fireball just beneath him. He wasn't too worried about killing Naruto, or even hurting himself. That level of attack wouldn't kill him, even at this range.

An explosion erupted as the attack slammed into the ground a second after it had left Madara's mouth. The shockwave from the explosion pushed Madara through the air. He did a back flip in midair before landing on his feet near the center of the clearing. As the smoke cleared only a burned log could be seen where Naruto should have been.

Madara quickly looked around the clearing and he couldn't see Naruto anywhere. He felt the ground for vibrations and couldn't sense anything there; that only meant one thing. Madara glanced up just in time to see Naruto commence a counter-attack.

"**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted from the sky as the five shuriken he had thrown changed into a thousand. Madara tensed as he brought his Gunbai and channelled his chakra through it creating an effective shield against the projectiles, unfortunately for him, Naruto wasn't done. Madara's eyes widened as he noted the signs that Naruto flashed through in moments "**Fūton: Shinkūjin!**" Naruto yelled as he pushed his chakra forth into all of the shuriken turning them into deadly, wind infused windmills of spinning death.

Madara grit his teeth as the shuriken slammed into his Gunbai. The first hundred or so were easily blocked, but the barrier technique couldn't withstand the entire attack. The wind enhanced shurikens packed a penetration power far greater than a normal attack would. Rips and tears started to appear in the Gunbai, ruining its ability to absorb and reflect attacks in addition to weakening its defense against projectiles.

"Naruto!" Madara roared in anger as he performed a quick kawarimi with his nearby kama to escape from the storm of shurikens. Madara glared at his battle fan for a moment before he threw it to the side. It was useless for its normal functions as it is, he would need to fix it in the future, again. At the moment it better served as an escape mechanism. "That's the fourth time you've destroyed my fan, and it'll be the last time. I'll capture you right here, right now, and end this silly charade you and your pathetic friends have dragged on these past eight years. You don't have anyone left to sacrifice to get away from me!"

Naruto landed gracefully, being careful to avoid landing on the few shuriken that hadn't penetrated to deeply into the ground. Naruto looked up and glared at Madara just as the entire clearing flashed in a brilliant omni-colored light. The glare transformed into a smirk, "I don't need to run anymore."

"Naruto! Now!"

"Bye." Naruto said as he waved with his left hand and performed a one-handed seal with his right. There was a short poof as he performed a quick **Kawarimi no Jutsu** with…

"You are within the field of my divination!" Naruto's companion growled as she crouched low with one arm out in front of her and the other behind. "**Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō!**" She shouted as she burst forward in an incredible display of speed, speed that seemed to defy mortal limits.

"**Two Palms**!" She shouted as she shot her hands towards Madara's torso, the glow of chakra around the hands was so intense that they were no longer visible. The spike of chakra that extended from the end of the fingers on either hand was almost a foot in length. She wasn't going to just seal Madara's tenketsu, she was going to rip a hole right through his body where the tenketsu should be.

Madara sneered in contempt as he dodged to the side, no matter how fast she may move, he could read her muscle movements a mile away and doge the strike. "Do you honestly think you can…" Madara's words were abruptly cut off in a choking gasp as her chakra enhanced fingers slammed into his torso. Madara was completely shocked, the arms seemed to blur and bend at unnatural angles as they twisted to hit his body.

"**Four Palms**!" Four more strikes hammered into Madara rocking him backwards. Madara tried to dodge but no matter where he went the hands always seemed to find him.

"**Eight Palms**!" Madara was starting to panic now, nothing he did seemed to stop the strikes from connecting, no matter how easily he read the woman's movement, he couldn't seem to stay out of range.

"**Sixteen Palms**!" More strikes slammed into Madara, this time a couple hit him in the shoulders.

"**Thirty-Two Palms**!" Blow upon blow rained down upon the powerful Uchiha, his arms and legs now starting to feel the brunt of the attack. Madara was starting to panic now, his body was beginning to feel sluggish as the chakra that fed it's continual maintenance started to become greatly hampered.

"**Sixty-Four Palms**!" Madara could only watch on in helpless horror as the arms seemed to twist and weave in impossible directions, slamming into every part of his body, from his arms and legs to his torso and neck.

"**One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms**!" She roared victoriously as a shockwave blasted through the clearing, her hands and arms now moving faster than sound. Every Tenketsu, every place where vital organs should be, every place where there was unhampered chakra, was hammered with reality defying strikes so fast and so warped that existence itself seemed to bend around the woman. Madara's legs were blasted off and eyes ruptured. His chest caved in and arms twisted and bent in unnatural positions as chakra enhanced piercing strikes moving beyond the speed of sound ruined his body beyond recognition.

With a final blast of chakra as the technique ended Madara was thrown off his feet and through the air. Naruto moved to stand beside his companion as Madara's body began to disintegrate, even while in midair.

"This is the end Madara, your reign, the Uchiha terror, is over." Naruto stated with finality and conviction in his voice. It was over, the long war, all the terror, all the pain, all the sacrifices... it was finally over. But why was it that Naruto didn't feel like he had won at all?

Madara just laughed as his body disappeared around him, no longer capable of keeping itself together. The Senju cells becoming nothing more than a mass of useless flesh. "Too bad Naruto, aren't you forgetting someone?" Madara grinned at him like a mad man. "An old friend perhaps?"

"**Naruto**!" A voice roared out as the sound of a thousand chirping birds suddenly echoed through the clearing.

Naruto stiffened in horror. No, no no no, not now, not with the sealing array active. Naruto whipped around to stare at the one person he could identify with the most, the one person he had been chasing after his entire life in one form or another, the one person he had ever considered his brother, and right now, the very last person he wanted to see.

Sasuke.

Specifically Sasuke speeding towards him, his Mangekyou Sharingan blazing with a feral light that seemed unnatural and a Raikiri charged in his hands aiming straight for his heart. A strike that had already hit because the sealing array they were all bound to had determined that it had already struck, and Sasuke was simply going through the motions that would ensure that the effect that had already occurred did occur.

Warps and twists began to appear around Sasuke as he flew towards Naruto.

Naruto grimaced and prepared himself. If he was going down, he might as well take the bastard down with him. A Rasengan appeared in Naruto's left hand. With Naruto's stubborn will, healing factor, and sturdy body he knew a strike to the heart wouldn't be immediately fatal, he could survive at least a few moments. And he would make sure to shove his Rasengan straight down Sasuke's throat before he died. No more scratched hitate for him. Blades of wind began to appear around the Rasengan as Naruto began to manipulate his wind chakra into the technique.

"It's time to die Naruto!" Sasuke shouted as he came within striking distance. "I've waited a long time for this. All your ideologies, all your talks of peace, all your illusions, hopeless dreams and impossible plans die here today! True peace only comes when all others are under the dominion of a single, undisputed, unchallengeable, undying ruler and I will be that ruler!"

"I won't let you, not even over my dead body!" Naruto shouted in anger at Sasuke. He couldn't believe how delusional and insane Sasuke had become over the years. He had even murdered his companions, Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo when he thought they were turning on him because they questioned whether or not he should carrying pocky onto the battlefield.

The reality around the clearing seemed to warp and twist as the two powerful attacks were brought together.

"**Raikiri!"**

"**Fūton**: **Rasengan**!"

Sasuke shoved his hand forward to pierce Naruto's heart as Naruto lashed out with his left hand to shove his Rasengan into Sasuke's face as he literally tried to force it down his throat. That was when something odd happened.

Naruto tripped.

Both their eyes widened in surprise as Naruto fell over onto his back, his Rasengan still outstretched. Sasuke, still flying full tilt with the Raikiri in his outstretched hand couldn't redirect it in time, has Sharingan couldn't predict purely luck based actions. It took into account a person's muscle movements and predicted their actions based on that, but if the person had no intention of making that action, then the Sharingan couldn't predict it. Has a result Sasuke went flying over Naruto, unable to stop himself. Naruto's Rasengan, instead of being shoved down Sasuke's throat, tore open a deep gash in his chest starting at his sternum and ripping a three inch deep gash through his chest all the way down to his pelvic area as he flew by.

All the bones and muscles in Sasuke's chest were torn to pieces as blood flew everywhere, but he wasn't the only one to be injured. Sasuke had missed Naruto, but he had still hit a target, he wasn't a powerful ninja without good reason. He may have missed his chance to end Naruto, but he still had a chance to cause his old friend unbearable pain by taking the very last person he cared about away from him. So at the very last moment, Sasuke had redirected his attack.

A feminine gasp echoed through Naruto's skull as he realized what had just happened. Sasuke's attack had ripped through his companion, right where one of her chakra gates were, specifically the Gate of Limit in her abdomen. It tore through her entire body leaving a fist sized hole. Lightning arced through her body as the Raikiri spent its load inside her.

"No!" Naruto roared in rage as his chakra, along with Kurama's, exploded from within him. Sasuke was literally torn in half from the massive explosion of chakra due to his close proximity, but he didn't mind, he was dead already, and he had taken the last precious thing Naruto had away from him. He died with a sick, twisted grin on his face.

Naruto was at her side in an instant, doing his best to stem the blood that was leaking from her abdomen. He wasn't a medic-nin, he didn't know any medical techniques, and even if he did he didn't have the control required to use them properly. He stared on helplessly as his last companion bled out in front of him.

And then, the seal erupted in a massive multi-colored light as it overloaded. The universe itself seemed to scream in agony and pain. The ground heaved and churned as the sealing array was ripped asunder and the Prime Chakra Element was unleashed in all its glory. A massive pillar of light erupted from the clearing and shot into the sky, shattering, twisted, warping, as reality fought to bring itself back to order. To return nature to the way it was supposed to be.

The Prime Chakra Element that had blasted into the sky dispersed back into its original elements, and then recombined once more in a more natural way. Naruto hadn't been wrong in his theory of what the Prime Chakra Element contained; he had made a mistake in how he had combined it. He had also been wrong in the assumption that it was simply 'chakra'. An unearthly howl shook the very foundation of the continent. The noise was beyond human comprehension, it contained the voice of everything and the voice of nothing at all. Then there was another mind blowing sound, it sounded like countless porcelain dishes were shattering all at once.

And then it was over. When the light was gone, the clearing had gone back to its normal, peaceful, quiet existence. There were no battle scars on the landscape, no discarded shurikens, no battered gunbai or broken bodies. There was simply natural grass and dirt.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Some of you may inquire as to why the sealing array didn't force Sasuke's technique to pierce Naruto's heart, well the reason is simple: Luck. The Gae Bolg I'm referencing in this story is taken from the Nasuverse. It's basically an unblockable, unavoidable attack, with one exception: Luck. People with extreme amounts of luck can avoid or redirect the attack. And we all know how lucky Naruto is. Unfortunately there are only 2 people in the Naruto-verse with enough luck to avoid it: Naruto and Tsunade. Tsunade only because her luck is SO bad she'd avoid it only because something worse had happen instead.

Also, this is just the prologue; this chapter is designed to setup the whole crossover with Sekirei. It gives some back story, some understanding of how and why Naruto ended up in the Sekirei world, and it lays the ground work for some future events. The next chapter starts in the Sekirei world.

And finally I hope my fight scene wasn't too bad, I'm not particularly confident with them.

**Jutsu List**

If it's a unique technique I created, I'll give a brief explanation. Otherwise I'm just saying what the technique is in English; you can find a full definition on Narutopedia

**Hakke Jutsu** (Eight Trigrams Technique)

**Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō (**Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms**)**

**Shikamaru:**

**Kage Shihai no Jutsu (**Shadow Domination Technique**)**

This is a D-A Rank technique. It basically allows the user of the technique to take control of all the shadows in the area and make them his or her own. The area of effect depends on three factors, the users chakra control, their amount of chakra and the amount of shadows in the area.

The reason the rating of the technique varies is due to how it functions. The more shadows, the more powerful it becomes. In an open field it's downgraded to a basic D ranked technique since there aren't very many shadows to take control of. In a heavily forested area or at night where shadows reign, it because nigh unstoppable and even the most powerful of opponents can be snared by it.

**Naruto:**

**Gen'inkekka Gyakuten Fuin (**Causality Reversal Seal**)**

This is an S Rank sealing technique. It actually manipulates and changes the very laws of the universe to change and Action - Effect to an Effect - Action. It distorts the very fabric of existence. The difficulty behind the technique is so high, not only designing it but building it and executing it, that it ranks as an S Rank technique.

**Fūton: Rasengan (**Wind Release: Spiralling Sphere**) **

**Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku (**Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere**) **

**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (**Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique**) **

**Fūton: Shinkūjin (**Wind Relase: Vacuum Blade**) **

**Kawarimi no Jutsu (**Body Replacement Technique**)**

**Madara:**

**Katon: Gōka Messhitsu (**Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction**)**

**Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu (**Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique**)**

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (**Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique**) **

**Sasuke:**

**Raikiri (**Lightning Cutter**)**


	2. Chapter 1: Lost in a New World

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Note: There will be flashbacks in this story; the first one is in this chapter. The flashbacks will basically describe major events like the final moments of certain key individual's lives. I'll try not to put more than one in per chapter, if there are any at all. I'll also try to keep them short but no promises. They'll be written in different styles from different points of view. I want to explain more of what happened in the past, but I don't want to just jam it in, I want it to make sense, so each 'flashback' will happen when something occurs at the present time that reminds the individual of the event in the past.**

**Review Responses: **Some people have wondered who Naruto's companion is. I left it ambiguous for a reason. It just adds a bit of flavor. Although anyone who was observant enough probably figured it out. I felt there was 1 line in particular that gave it away. It will be revealed halfway through this chapter though for those that didn't guess correctly.

As for the Sekirei Naruto will end up with. I've already planned 4 of them out. Those 4 will for sure end up with him. I can't give away much more than that without spoiling things but that should give you a hint on how interesting his Sekirei will be. What is still in doubt is whether or not they'll be the only 4. I can say this though, there are 2 Sekirei I don't like, and won't be including them as a result: Kuu and Tsukiumi. Homura probably also won't be simply because he starts male. Now, I'm not saying those three won't get an Ashikabi at all, because they will, it just won't be Naruto. I know people like Tsukiumi but I don't, never did, never been fond of Tsundere's. They've always annoyed me whenever they appeared in anime/manga I've watched/read.

As for Miya, all I will say is that she is my favorite Sekirei character so expect something to happen with her.

Now for as to what happened at the end of the Prologue. Basically what Naruto did defied reality, however The Universe doesn't like being defied. Especially in such a haphazard way. So it retaliated against Naruto. Or I suppose not Naruto per-say, but against the warp in reality. The Universe doesn't care about Naruto only that its integrity isn't compromised. If you were paying attention you could see at certain points where The Universe was trying to impose itself back on the clearing to return the cause and effect back to normal. When the technique snapped and fell apart The Universe basically rejected everything in the clearing that was associated with the reality warping technique. Whether Naruto was either frozen in time/space, floating in Limbo, or existing between Universe' during this time, or even something more fantastical, is up to you. It's open ended for a reason. However you wish to envision it is how it works, just know that everything that was rejected from that clearing existed outside of space and time for an undisclosed duration. There is a reason why Naruto ended up where he did, but that won't be revealed until much later, it deals with a certain element I'm using to tie the two universes together.

And finally, I made a mistake in the prologue. When I said that Naruto's companion had been struck through the Gate of Limit, it was actually Gate of View. I basically mentioned the wrong gate in the prologue. The attack was supposed to have connected with the lower half of the torso. An attack of that magnitude hitting anywhere in the upper half of the torso is instant-death for people without enhanced healing capabilities. I knew where I wanted the attack to hit, I just didn't describe it properly for you.

Update: Removed a reference to Naruto's companion that appeared earlier than desired.

**Chapter 1: Lost in a New World**

Shinto Teito, the capital of Japan, was home to a new rising star in the corporate world: MBI or Mid Bio Informatics. The city hadn't always been called by that name. It used to be known as Tokyo but ever since MBI had come into play as a major power in the corporate world the name had been changed. Names are easily changed for the right price. And when MBI had bought out over seventy percent of the city, well that was apparently more than enough to buy a name change.

Mid Bio Informatics was a relatively new company. It had arrived on the battlefield that is the cutthroat corporate world about twenty years ago. It had radically changed the face of the battlefield, destroying many of its competitors easily by dealing in over-technology, technology that was far beyond anything that currently existed in the present day's market.

Because of its incredibly advanced technological discoveries it had easily pushed its way to the top of the corporate world. On the outside it was the largest pharmaceutical company in the world to date, but on the inside it was much more. All corporations had their skeletons in the closet; MBI had more than just the skeleton.

Despite Tokyo being bought by a major corporation and being renamed it remained relatively peaceful. The common citizen never thought anything was wrong. After all it wasn't like laws were unnecessarily changed, shady things didn't occur in the background or after dark, people didn't just disappear, and brawls causing major property damage weren't occurring.

It was in this peaceful city of blissful ignorance that an earthquake struck. It came suddenly, and without warning shaking buildings from side to side. Most people ran about in a panic as they headed for the streets or the shelters. This was Japan, earthquakes happened here often so the people were prepared for it.

However while earthquakes were common, what came next was not. They were not prepared for the unearthly howl that tore across the city like a million souls were crying out in agony as they were rent apart. Nor where they prepared for a single, massive upheaval that made literally everything that wasn't bolted to the floor air born for a few moments or for the earth to suddenly stop shaking as if it had never occurred in the first place.

**x~X~x**

When the light finally died down Naruto blinked his eyes a few time as he tried to adjust them to the sudden darkness. He didn't know what had just occurred. One moment he was trying his utmost to stop his companion from bleeding out, the next he completely engulfed in a white light. As the spots in his eyes disappeared he noticed a few things.

First he noticed he was in an alley and not a very clean one either. Refuse lay strewn all about and a dumpster near the exit was overflowing with smelly garbage. What were supposed to be white washed walls rose to either side of him, but neither were very clean so they were looking decidedly on the grayish side. The ground was paved in something he had never seen before; he wasn't used to anything but dirt roads. Sasuke's corpse appeared to have made the trip to wherever he was, although it was definitely worse for wear. Many of the innards had fallen out and were splayed all over the ground between the two halves of the body. Between the major gash down the center of his chest and his body being torn apart in Naruto's abrupt chakra eruption, there wasn't a whole lot left to keep Sasuke's insides inside.

And that brought Naruto to the women in his arms. She was still breathing, but it was getting shallower by the second. Blood was leaking out of her abdomen despite his best attempts at stemming the tide of blood.

'_Naruto, you need to find aid, my chakra can't heal her, and you don't know how_.' A voice reverberated through Naruto's skull softly. He knew his life-long companion was correct, he couldn't stay here, and the longer he did, the greater the chance that she would…

He stood up swiftly, but gracefully, bringing the woman up with him carrying her bridal style. Naruto didn't want to finish that thought, he needed to find help, support, something. Thankfully he noticed that there were people running frantically across the alley opening, that meant that wherever he was, there were people, and that meant there was probably someone who knew some medical jutsus or knew someone who could help.

Naruto moved swiftly, covering the distance to the end of the alley in moments, his feet barely touched the ground as he flowed with a grace few in the city could match. Naruto had to squint as he broke from the alleyway as the light from the sun hit him. While he hadn't been in the alleyway long, his eyes had adjusted quickly. Shinobi that couldn't adjust quickly to changes in light didn't live long.

Naruto immediately noticed a stark contrast between the appearance of the buildings out here and the appearance they took on back in the alley. While the alley may not have been well kept, the front of the buildings here were. They were kept immaculately clean and the street and sidewalk appeared to be kept clean of refuse, although he still couldn't identify what they were made from.

"Oh my god!" Someone nearby exclaimed as they saw Naruto emerge from the alley. "What the happened to you two?" The exclamation drew quite a bit of attention from the nearby passerby's.

Naruto glanced over at the young man who had spoken and noticed he was wearing some very outlandish clothing, at least in his opinion. He wore a pair of shoes Naruto had never seen before. A pair of comfortable looking blue pants that were made out of a material he had never seen and a white long-sleeved shirt under a brown coat with a fur collar. He had short black hair that went just down past his ears with some bangs hanging over his nose and dark black eyes.

Naruto looked at himself and sighed. He supposed he did look a little out of place wearing what he did. It didn't help that the entire front of his body was drenched in blood as he had just body surfed on an open cadaver. It also probably didn't help that he was holding a beautiful woman in his arms that had a massive hole in her chest and was bleeding out at a terrifying rate.

But Naruto could focus on cleaning up, and blending in, later, right now he had more important things. "I need help!" Naruto cried out as he tightened his hold on his love. "We were attacked by a madman in the alley behind us. He stabbed my Fiancée, can someone help? Please?" Naruto was not above pleading if it helped save the life of one of his precious people.

"Someone call 119!"

"We need an ambulance over here!"

"Dear god look at the blood!"

"A MADMAN!? But I don't see any spindly, red-haired, clawed berserkers…"

Someone in the distance slurped and licked their lips in hunger.

"We need first aid! No CPR!"

"CPR? What kind of bad crack are you smoking?"

"MEDIC!"

The people around Naruto started clamouring in shock and horror. There were more than a few thumps as people fell over unconscious at the shocking sight, unable to take seeing anymore. Naruto had no idea what the hell a 119 was or an ambulance but he hoped it was some sort of emergency service that could help him. Also he wouldn't admit but a few of the sounds and comments he heard disturbed him just a bit. "I have no idea what everyone is shouting but I need help."

"Don't worry!" The first man who had spoken up said as he approached. He was lowering a strange device from his ear. "I've called 119, they're sending an ambulance here. It'll take you two to a hospital. Thankfully we're close so it should only take them a few minutes to get here."

Some sirens started blaring in the distance almost as soon as the man had finished speaking. "Thanks, I can't lose her; she's all I have left." He still didn't know what 119 or an ambulance was but from what little he could gather this 119 was a location and an ambulance was a transportation device of some sort.

"No worry, you look like you have just walked straight out of a war zone." Naruto shook his head sadly; the teen had no idea just how close to the actual truth he was. That final fight in the clearing that could be considered the final battle of the war that started when Akatsuki had declared war on the Shinobi world.

"In a sense it was, it certainly felt like it." Naruto replied sadly as he glanced back down the alley. "You may want contact whatever authority takes care of this city. Finding dead bodies isn't a very pleasant thing." The young man started to look a little green and appeared to be trying to look anywhere but at the alleyway Naruto had just left.

True to the young man's word the ambulance didn't take long to arrive. And when they did they didn't have to be directed where to go, it was fairly obvious who needed medical attention. Naruto had never seen a vehicle like the one he was staring at: The bright white sides, the blaring sirens, the flashing lights. Having something like that in the elemental nations would have been the equivalent to painting a giant bull's-eye on a target on yourself and screaming 'shoot me' at the top of your lungs. It was even on par with wearing a brilliant orange jumpsuit that could be seen five miles away. But Naruto didn't care, if it saved his love, he would do anything

Naruto's companion was quickly placed upon a stretcher and wheeled into the back of the ambulance. He had seen stretchers before, but they had always stayed in the Hospitals. It must be pretty convenient to have a vehicle that could transport that mobile bed. As Naruto climbed into the vehicle with the medics he turned back to the person that had helped him.

Naruto smiled lightly, "Thank you, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I never did catch your name though." If she lived he was going to do everything in his power to repay the young man, but he needed his name first.

"It's Sahashi, Minato Sahashi." Minato replied as he waved at Naruto. "I wish you the best of luck and hope your fiancée recovers!" Minato never did figure out why Naruto laughed as the ambulance closed its doors and drove off towards the hospital.

"Minato, huh?" Naruto said softly, his laughter dying down. It was ironic, being saved by someone with the same name as his father. It seemed like his father was following him everywhere, watching over him. Naruto looked over at the medics that were in the vehicle with him. "Can you save her?"

"We'll try young man, we'll try. She's lost a lot of blood but luckily her spinal column is still intact and none of her vital organs have been hit. If we can prevent her from bleeding out we can heal her." One of the paramedics said calmly as he monitored his patient's heartbeat. There were a lot of strange tubes hooked up to Naruto's fiancée and if it weren't for the fact that the medics appeared to be confident in their work Naruto would have been questioning their every action.

"You're lucky we're living in the days of MBI." The second medic said with a gentle smile, she was a small woman but she had a kindly face and a smile that made the rising sun seem pale by comparison. "The hospital we're going to is owned by MBI, they have the greatest technology in the world. We can heal anything save death these days. Even ten years ago this would have been a fatal wound."

Naruto smiled in relief, these medics seemed to think that his love could be saved, that was definitely a welcome relief. "Well then, it looks like I may owe this MBI a favour in the future." Naruto replied with relief obvious in his voice.

**x~X~x**

Naruto had been given a change of clothes while his old ones were washed by the hospital staff. It hadn't taken very long. Thankfully most of the blood hadn't dried yet so it easily washed out. Naruto had been the one to clean his bandoleer himself, he wasn't about to let anyone near the scrolls contained within. They were far too precious to risk in the hands of the unskilled.

Not that he was really concerned about anyone around him activating them. For some reason he could only sense a few people within the area that actually had enough Chakra to be detected. Wherever he was, the regular people here couldn't mould chakra like virtually everyone back where he lived could. He was just concerned that they would damage that scrolls by mishandling them.

The hospital staff had demanded to check him over as well when he had walked into the hospital from the transportation vehicle. He tried to fight them off, telling them he was alright and that there wasn't anything wrong with him but they had insisted. Considering the condition he was in when he arrived at the hospital he supposed he couldn't 'really' blame them too much for being concerned. He really did look like he had just walked out of a war considering how much blood he was covered in. Naruto was actually sort of touched by how willing they seemed to be to help a complete stranger.

The hospital staff was incredibly surprised to find that none of the blood actually belonged to him, most of it had been Sasuke's. They had been even more surprised to find that the blonde wasn't just fine, but perfect in every way. His body was absolutely perfect, the ratio of muscle to fat couldn't be any better, his vitamin levels, cholesterol, everything, was the spot on. He had no defects, no diseases, no scars, nothing. He was the living definition of a completely one hundred percent perfectly fit and healthy individual.

Naruto had a certain companion tucked away inside him that was responsible for that feat of medical wonder but he wasn't about to go mentioning to the hospital staff that he was the way he was because he had a several hundred year old demon of unimaginable power living inside his stomach.

It was the sort of revelation that either sent people screaming or calling the nearest psychiatric ward.

After they realized that Naruto was the picture perfect definition of 'healthy' they left him alone. They did provide him with something to eat while he waited at the bedside of his fiancée though, which Naruto was thankful for. The food was alright, it was surprisingly better than standard issue hospital food, but it wasn't ramen. When he had asked if there was any ramen they had just given him a weird look and didn't respond.

Naruto hoped that didn't mean there was no Ramen wherever he had been sent to. That would make this place hell, even if they saved his love.

Right now Naruto sat beside his fiancée's bed as he watched her slowly breathe in and out. Almost forty eight hours had passed since the two of them were first admitted into the hospital and he had to admit, the technology they had here was incredible. Some of this was definitely familiar to him, but there was simply so much more than he was used to seeing in a hospital room. It seemed that the people here made up for their lack of chakra with more advanced and complex technology. There were the usual beeps and whirls and twerps going on all over the place, soft sounds that were normally associated with hospitals he was familiar with, but some of it was definitely foreign to him. Without any medical Ninjutsu they had healed her. He had watched as tiny machines had crawled across her abdomen, repairing the tissue and rebuilding the muscles. He had no idea what they were but they were certainly fascinating to watch.

When he had first seen them they had reminded him of his friend Shino and that brought back a bad memory. Shino had been one of the first of his friends to die, sacrificing himself to buy some time for Naruto and everyone else to evacuate Konoha when Madara had come knocking with a meteor.

_**** Flashback ****_

_Naruto and Shino clasped each other's forearms, "Shino, I didn't want to ask this of you but…" He couldn't finish that statement. Naruto had been nominated as the Hokage when the remnants of the Shinobi Alliance had fled back here for safety. With Tsunade and many of the other elites like Kakashi dead he was the only one with the charisma, strength and desire to lead Konoha. He's been forced to make some incredibly difficult decisions over the years, but asking Shino and his Genin team to misdirect Madara away from the actual escape route ranked among the top._

_It was a death sentence, he was basically asking them to die so that he and the others could escape. It left a bitter taste in Naruto's mouth, even if he knew there was no other choice. Naruto turned his gaze towards the burning remnants of Konoha. The meteor hadn't left much left to burn after it had slammed into the center of the city. It made Pain's attack pale in comparison. The Hokage monument was no more, destroyed by the shockwave that had shot outwards from the impact zone of the meteor. The walls had crumbled, no building still stood in one piece and even the surrounding forest for half a mile in every direction had been flattened. The very foundation of earth that the village had sat upon had cracked and splintered. Even if the meteor was removed in the future, life would never flourish in Konoha again. No one in that ruined city still lived, and it was only a matter of time before Madara found those that fled._

_There weren't very many people left, and those that were, were still needed in the ultimate plan to destroy Madara. Shino and his team were the only expendable ones left. They only survived the attack because they had just left the village on a reconnaissance mission before the meteor struck. They had hurried back but soon realized there hadn't been very much they could do. While the best of the Shinobi Alliance Remnants fought Madara, Shino and his Genin team had done what they could to evacuate the few people that hadn't been killed. The Shinobi Remnants had only fought to buy time for Naruto and the others to evacuate the last few necessary components for the plan Naruto had begun to formulate._

_None of them had survived, which had left Shino and his team of Genin as the only expendable ninjas still alive. _

_Expendable._

_That thought is what left the bitter taste in Naruto's mouth; he never wanted to view his friends as expendable. Unfortunately being Hokage didn't give him the right to value the individual over the many._

_Naruto glanced over at Shino's charges, they looked scared, they hadn't even reached puberty yet being between the ages of 11 and 12. The war with Madara had forced Naruto to fast track many of the Academy students. However behind the fear in their eyes was a fire that burned bright. Despite their age the 'Will of Fire' burned fiercely within those three. They knew what was being asked of them. They were scared, but they would do their best, they would lay their lives down for their Hokage. _

"_It is fine Hokage. Why? Because I know of the plan, I know what it entails and I know that it does not require my abilities or services to enact. Those others that I protect by performing this final duty in service of Konoha will see to it that my sacrifice is not in vain, that my death will be avenged." Shino murmured softly. He had always been the most logical of Naruto's peers. He knew exactly why he had been asked to die, and he had accepted it. He had always been loyal to Konoha, but more importantly he was loyal to his friends and cared for them deeply. He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his life to save theirs, even if his Hokage hadn't asked him._

_His only unfulfilled desire was to see his shy teammate finally gather the courage to ask the man she loved to be with her._

_Shino turned from his Hokage and surveyed the ruined village in the distance. Shino had his bugs spread out all over the devastated village and flattened forest to monitor the movement of the enemy. The enemy was beginning to head in their direction. "Go Hokage. Why? Because if you tarry much longer my sacrifice will be naught."_

_Naruto sighed and nodded. "Again, I'm sorry my friend." Naruto sad sadly as he turned and jumped away through the forest. Naruto let go the tears he had been holding back. He hoped for the best, he hoped that Shino, the logical strategic thinker, had some sort of exit plan, but Naruto's heart knew the truth. He was never going to see his friend again. "May you find peace in the next life my friend, peace you were never able to find in this one." Naruto whispered as he increased his speed to quickly catch up with the others._

_The sound of explosions and fighting erupted behind him, and it was all Naruto could do but simply grit his teeth and keep going._

_**** End Flashback ****_

Thinking back to the deaths of his friends, what he had been forced to ask of them, always brought Naruto to the verge of tears, even years later. The medical staff wasn't entirely accurate in their diagnosis. Naruto did have scars, many of them, they just weren't visible scars. There were some scars that would probably never heal. None of his friends had died easy deaths; the luckiest had simply died quickly. Others like what happened to Sakura when Sasuke caught her alone were worse.

Naruto shuddered and shook those thoughts from his mind. He had to focus on the now. He could dwell on the past later, much later.

Naruto brushed some stray locks of hair out of her eyes as he gazed at his companion softly. She had lost some of her small intestines and a portion of her stomach but it was a small price to pay for keeping her life. In all honesty she probably wouldn't even notice it. The doctors had informed him that she should soon make a full recovery and that she should be waking soon. Due to how much blood she had lost it may be several days before her full strength returned but she was no longer in any danger. Once she wakes up, and her cognitive abilities checked out, he had been informed that they would be allowed to go.

A soft 'shik' brought Naruto's attention away from his companion as the door to the room opened up. That was another technological wonder that Naruto had marvelled at when he had first arrived; doors that automatically opened as he approached them. Through the door came a single woman holding an electronic clipboard in her hand, Naruto had seen those as well after coming here. They looked just like regular clipboards back home except there was a screen on it instead of paper and could be used for so much more than simple paper could.

It was a slender woman with grey eyes and grey hair that went down to her neck. She stood about 162cm and if Naruto had to guess her weight from the sound of her footfall he'd put her between 48 and 52 kilograms. She wore black shoes with black trousers and had a medical overcoat that went down to her knees covering a white buttoned collared shirt. The entire ensemble was topped off by a brown necktie.

"Ah, good afternoon Mr. Uzumaki." The woman said as she approached the end of the bed. Naruto smiled at her lightly as he carefully watched her, he hadn't see this woman before but without any chakra he could stop her from harming his beloved, assuming she didn't get too close. "I take it my staff have been treating you and your fiancée well during your stay here?"

Oh, so that's what she was. If she was in charge of the whole place then she was indirectly responsible for saving his love. He could show her at least some courtesy and trust in that case. "Ya, I'm fine, and it's just Naruto. I've never been one for formality Mrs..."

"Sahashi, Takami Sahashi."

Naruto frowned for a moment diverting his eyes towards the ground as he entered deep thought, "Sahashi... Sahashi... where have I, OH!" Naruto remembered, that was the same last name as the young man that had helped him earlier. "Is there any relation to a Minato Sahashi?"

Takami blinked in surprise for a moment before smiling, "Yes, he's my son. When did you meet him and is he well?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes, he was the one that actually called the medics for me and got us here. I'm really grateful for his efforts. I probably would have lost her if it wasn't for him." Naruto grinned as he rubbed the back of his head. Now he had two reasons to like this woman, the mother of that young man earlier and the person in charge of the hospital. "He seemed to be doing well when we parted."

Takami smiled in relief, her job kept her from being able to see, or talk, with her son very often. It was difficult being so involved in MBI like she was, it didn't leave her with much time for her family. But she had come here for more important reasons that to talk about family. Takami cleared her throat as she looked down at the tablet in her hands. A few quick swipes of her fingers brought up what she wanted. "Alright, first order of business. There are several things that need to be taken care of. First of all we need to finish filling out your fiancée's medical record. I know it's been a hectic and frantic past two days for you, everything considered, but we never actually got her name when you arrived." Takami said as she waved her hand at the person in the bed.

"Oh!" Naruto said in surprise, he had completely forgotten about that as well. "Ah, sorry, my bad, I didn't mean to keep it from you, it's just that when I get focused on something I tend to forget everything else." Naruto apologized, he really hadn't meant to keep it from them for so long, it just didn't seem like a very pressing topic at any point in time, and no one had asked. "She's my fiancée, and only because the papers to have us married got burned before they could be officially accepted." Burned was putting it lightly. Probably shouldn't mention that the papers had burned when Madara had incinerated his envoy to the fire capital. While most people could get away with an ad hoc marriage. However the heiress to a powerful clan, well what remained of it anyways, getting married to the Hokage? That required something a bit more than just signing papers and submitting them to the local corner store. "Her name is Hanabi Hyuga-Uzumaki and she means everything to me." Despite not having been officially recognized as an Uzumaki, Hanabi had decided to take his surname along with her own. It was her way of meeting halfway until they could be officially recognized as a married couple.

She was a stickler for custom in certain areas.

Takami's pressed the clipboard tablet to her stomach with her left hand as her right danced over the screen. "Hanabi Hyuga-Uzumaki. I'm assuming that her maiden name is Hyuga and she obtained the Uzumaki name from you correct?" Naruto nodded in confirmation. "Good, alright, the medical record is now complete." Takami said as she hit the finish button and updated the medical records. There was a little ding and a smiley face holding up two fingers in a peace sign appeared on the screen signalling the process had been completed successfully. "Now for another matter we need to take care of: payment."

Naruto tilted his head and frowned. In Konoha the hospital had been free, at least for him. He never had to pay for anything. In the beginning Hiruzen had taken care of the expenses. Later on when he became a shinobi, it was free since he risked his life for the village. And after he had become Hokage, well, everything was free for him then. Naruto had to remember though, he wasn't the Hokage anymore. He was in a strange foreign land; it only made sense that he would have to start paying for things he had been used to getting for free.

"Is there some sort of favor or task I can do for you or the hospital?" Naruto asked, "Instead of cash payment I mean." He had no money, there was no way he'd be able to afford all the luxurious services that had been rendered for him and Hanabi.

Takami just shook her head, "No, no services per-say but... I am aware of your situation and your lack of, funds. The fact that neither of you don't appear in any of our databases is very perplexing as it has a complete profile of everyone that has ever entered, left, or lived within the borders of Japan. How you two managed to get here is a mystery, one we would very much like to learn. Our security could be, compromised, if your method of entry got out." If there was a security gap big enough for the two of them, three if one included the mangled corpse in the alley that MBI had recovered, then this was something they definitely needed to be informed about. They couldn't initiate the second phase of their plan successfully with a hole that large in their surveillance.

Naruto grimaced, he'd love to be able to tell her how he got here, but he honestly didn't know himself. He wasn't about to spill any of his secrets, especially not the sealing array he had created. If there was one thing Naruto had learned over the years, it was that when secrets got out, people died. However he could offer one thing, some assurance that his arrival wasn't really a repeatable occurrence. "I do not know exactly 'how' I ended up where I did, I was supposed to be elsewhere." Technically not a lie, but he was bending the truth almost to its breaking point there. "But I can tell you this, the method that I used is unique to myself alone, and it took years to put it into motion." He didn't need to mention that five of those years were research and that if he needed to he could have it set up again in months. "It's not something you need to worry about anyone or anything else abusing." That was true, it was something unique to him, no one else had even a clue how the key scroll worked. "Hanabi arrived with me only because I deliberately included her in the process."

Takami nodded as she sat down in one of the chairs against the wall and thought to herself for a moment. Takami could tell when someone was lying, and she knew that Naruto was being truthful. However she could also tell that he was deliberately leaving things out. No matter, he would simply have to be watched.

Takami turned her head and stared at Naruto. "Well, if you won't tell me how you got here, we'll have to find some other way of paying us for these hospital expenses. Those nano-machines are not cheap to employ and must be disposed of after each use." Takami tapped her tablet against her cheek for a moment. "I noticed something very interesting while analyzing Hanabi's blood earlier." Naruto tensed for a moment wondering if he was going to have to kill the woman across the room. He didn't want to, but he wouldn't let his love become someone's experiment. "If we could do some more thorough testing on her we could call us even. She is remarkably similar to certain... individuals that I am in association with."

"No."

"Ah but you don't seem to..."

"**NO!**" Naruto growled as some of Kurama's killing intent leaked out, startling Takami. If she hadn't know better she would have thought she was sitting across from a male Karasuba. She could have sworn, it was just for a moment, but the man's eyes across from her had changed. It had been too quick to determine how, but they had.

There was no way that Naruto would let anyone experiment on Hanabi. He'd raze the city to the ground before he let that happened. Flashes of experiments that Orochimaru and Kabuto had put people through zipped through Naruto's head. He would never allow someone he cared about to go through that kind of nightmare.

Naruto calmed down before wiping a hand across his hair and shading his eyes with the other. "I'm sorry for that outburst, the people here have been nothing but kind and generous since I've arrived." He apologized to Takami, he really was sorry, but he still wasn't going to give into her desire. "It's not that I object to aiding you, it's just I've had some bad experiences in the past with people I've cared about being turned into test subjects by some twisted and deranged individuals. Just the thought of anyone I care about going through testing..." Naruto let out a ragged breath as memories of the horrible test labs that Orochimaru and Kabuto had used flashed through his mind. "I'm sorry."

Takami nodded, it seemed certain words set off the individual sitting before her. She would have to choose her words carefully in the future. "Well, there is one final option. You." Naruto moved his hand away from his eyes and stared at Takami with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"I'm not..."

Takami held her hand up, "No, don't get me wrong, I don't want to put you through testing. I'd just like a couple pints of blood from you, that's all. Your blood, from the little testing we were able to do, is incredible." Naruto had an idea of where this was going, it had to do with his Uzumaki bloodline. If all she wanted was a few pints of blood from him, than he wasn't going to object. It's not like he hadn't given it away before. "It appears to have incredible healing capabilities, able to resist even the most debilitating poisons and diseases. It heals and replicates itself faster than anything I've ever seen and most importantly the wear and tear on the cells when they replicate is much less than normal. A few pints of your blood would go a long way to pushing our medical technology to the next level. All our advances have been in inorganic treatments like nano-machines but your blood may be the key to advancing our organic treatments."

Naruto couldn't help but let out a small smile. Takami looked so animated when she talked about his blood. Almost like a little kid in a candy store. If all he had to do was give up a few pints of blood, blood that would be replenished before the day was over, to pay for all the medical services that he and Hanabi had received, well Naruto felt that it was a fair trade. He also felt that he owed Takami a little since he gave her such a start earlier, although he was impressed at how well a civilian managed to handle Kurama's killing intent.

"Alright, I can live with that." Naruto said with a smile as turned his arm over to point the crook of the elbow up. "Where do you want to hook me up so we can get do this?"

Takami smiled happily as she stood. Truth be told she knew Naruto would decline her first two suggestions of repayment. If he was a spy, there's no way he'd consider giving up his method of entry. And considering how protective he had been of Hanabi she knew that Naruto would violently reject any proposal that involved a sacrifice on her part.

What she was really after was Naruto's blood. The secret of immortality, or at the very least incredible longevity, lay within there. The amount of money, power and influence MBI could command across the world with that secret would be astounding. Naruto had no idea how valuable he truly was and Takami would damn herself long before she gave him up. She needed his blood if she was going to earn enough money to cover the expenses this damnable plan of Minaka's. Despite the earnings from selling the results of the over-technology MBI was bleeding money faster than it made.

"Thank you." Takami said as she beckoned Naruto to follow her, "This won't take very long."

Takami led Naruto into the next room and had him lay down on the bed in there. Soon after some nurses arrived and began to hook his arm up to some machine that appeared to draw the blood from his arm. It was kind of interesting to watch the bag of blood slowly fill up. The small pinprick he felt when the needle went in was barely noticeable. Takami had been right though, it didn't take very long at all. Within thirty minutes two bags of blood had been filled out and the nurses were once again at his side unhooking him from the machine.

On the way back to Hanabi's room Takami held up what appeared to be a gray and gold plastic card with the letters M.B.I. on the front and a black strip on the back. "Here, you can have this as well." Takami said as she held the card out towards Naruto.

Naruto tentatively took the card from the woman and looked at it questionably. "What is this exactly?"

Takami looked startled for a moment before deciding to humor Naruto. "It's an MBI card, a credit card. It can be used to purchase anything, well anything within reason, while you're within the confines of the city." She explained, what she didn't mention was that the card had an embedded tracking device and the receipt of every purchase that was made was sent directly to MBI headquarters. Takami was serious when she said she wasn't going to let Naruto go. She may have gotten some pints of blood from him but she wasn't satisfied with just that.

"I can't take this." Naruto said quickly as he tried to hand the card back, "It's too valuable, I haven't done anything to earn something like this." It was also rather suspicious. There was no way someone like Takami would just give him a card that would let him buy anything and everything without there being some sort of catch. Naruto wasn't about to be roped into a contract or deal that he would have to break in the future.

"Don't worry about it." Takami said as she waved her hands in front of Naruto, she was going to have to be a little upfront if she wanted him to take the card. "Truth be told your blood is worth far more than the little bit of medical treatment we gave your soon-to-be wife. Consider it me paying you back now without having to deal with royalties later." She didn't want Naruto to come back in the future and demand some of the profits that were built off his blood.

Naruto mused that over with in his head for a bit. He wasn't quite sure what she meant by royalties but what she said did make a certain kind of sense. He didn't know how much his blood was worth wherever he was now but bloodlines, even minor ones, were always sought after back in the Elemental Nations. "Alright, I accept." Naruto said with a smile as he pocketed the card into one his many holders. Takami almost sighed with relief. "But now I'd like to return to Hanabi's side." Naruto said as he headed for the door to his beloved's hospital room. Naruto would keep the card for now, he had no way of purchasing anything anyways and the card solved that one distressing problem. He wasn't going to keep it however. Once he or Hanabi had obtained a job in the city that could support them he was going to destroy the card and all evidence it had existed.

Perhaps he could even do some buying and selling at MBI's expense.

"That's fine; your fiancée is free to stay until she feels she is healthy enough to leave. Consider any and all future expenses at this hospital paid for." Takami turned and left the area. She had much research to conduct.

When Naruto entered the room he was treated to a pleasant surprise. Hanabi's eyes were open and she was turning her head back and forth weakly as she looked around the room. With a cry of joy Naruto rushed over to the bed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders gently. "You're awake; thank the Log that you're awake." Naruto whispered softly as he nuzzled her hair.

Hanabi blushed lightly and let her head rest in Naruto's arms, "Ano…" She started shyly, "Where are we? This place doesn't look or sound like anywhere I'm familiar with." She looked tilted her head and looked into Naruto's eyes, their noses touching. Hanabi had been scared when she had woken up alone in the room. She was used to having Naruto's familiar presence around her all the time but she couldn't seem to be able to sense him or see him. Even now she could barely feel his chakra. However Hanabi wasn't a trained shinobi for nothing. Instead of panicking Hanabi had been trying to get a feel for where she was ever since she woke up but nothing seemed familiar. About all she had been able to deduce was that she was in a hospital room in a strange city that was somewhere.

Naruto smiled at her gently and gave her a kiss on the lips. Hanabi blush intensified but she returned the kiss with equal intensity. "That's an interesting story, let me start at the beginning…" Naruto started as he broke away.

Naruto spent the rest of the day explaining everything that had happened after Hanabi had lost consciousness. Neither of them paid much attention to anything save the other for the rest of the day.

It was almost a week later before Hanabi and Naruto finally left the hospital. Hanabi had been well enough to stand by the next day but even a few minutes of walking had exhausted her. Naruto never left he side the entire time. He even stayed past visiting hours. The hospital staff had tried to kick him out the first night but after what happened to the nurse that had tried that, no one had dared to kick him out again.

The nurse still couldn't get her hair color to go back to the way it was.

It also helped that Takami had said that he was allowed to stay, something about being a special case.

Thankfully Hanabi didn't need a new outfit, it had been washed just like Naruto's and had been available once she was able to dress herself, although Naruto had insisted on doing that for her. He always seemed to enjoy dressing her up. Hanabi wasn't sure if he was just trying to be nice or if it was his inner pervert that wanted an additional excuse to touch her. Ultimately it didn't matter to her in the end; it wasn't as if she disliked being touched by him. It was nice to be fawned over by the man you love, regardless of the reason.

By the fifth day after Hanabi had awoken she had been able to almost function like a normal human being. She could walk the whole length of the hospital without needing to rest, although it did take a toll on her stamina. That was something she would have to rebuild. The two of them became familiar with many of the hospital staff as they called out when they passed each other in the halls.

It was on the sixth day that Hanabi and Naruto had come to a startling, and frightening, realization. Hanabi couldn't mould her chakra anymore. Sasuke's attack had destroyed one of her celestial gates beyond repair and since no one in this new world they were in even knew what the celestial gates were, let alone how to repair them, it was a lost cause. In addition the lightning elemental chakra in the attack had ruined a significant portion of her coils. Hanabi's elemental affinity was earth, which was weak to lightning. When you coupled that with the power of the attack and where it had struck, it had destroyed all the coils around where the Gate of View should have been. Even the adjacent gates had been damaged slightly due to the feedback from the lightning attack. Her chakra no longer flowed through her body smoothly like it did before. The mind had subconsciously stopped funnelling chakra through Hanabi's body so that the damage done wouldn't get any worse. Only enough was provided so that Hanabi could live.

When Hanabi had found out she became an emotional wreck. She couldn't use her Gentle Fist Taijutsu; all of her techniques had become useless. She couldn't even use her Byakugan anymore. She had lost all of her shinobi abilities. She was now nothing more than a stronger than average civilian. Hanabi wasn't in any emotional condition to leave the hospital so the two of them had spent the rest of the day in each other's arms as Naruto did his best to comfort his love. It wasn't until around midnight that she finally fell asleep, completely emotionally spent.

The following day was when they finally checked out of the hospital. Hanabi was still feeling under the weather due to the revelation from the day before but she was a Kunoichi, even if she no longer had the ability to mould chakra. Rock Lee had still led a successful career even with under developed chakra coils.

Naruto stretched his arms as he walked out of the sliding front doors of the hospital, Hanabi at his side. He grunted as small pops and cracks resounded. "It feels good to be outdoors again. I hate hospitals." Naruto said with relief as he took a deep breath of fresh air.

"I can't say I'm particularly fond of them either." Hanabi poked her fingers together as she looked up at Naruto, "Ano, have you decided on… on where to go from here?"

"Nope!"

A large sweat drop appeared behind Hanabi's head and it slowly slide down her back. "Why am I not surprised?" She muttered under her breath. She should have guessed, unless it was life threatening, or something to do with her well being, Naruto never really put much thought into things. Even now he tended to just wing it when it came to every day life.

"What was not?"

"Nothing love, nothing at all." Hanabi replied with a smile as she linked her right arm through Naruto's left. There hadn't been a whole lot of time to be intimate with her love when they had been in the Elemental Nations. Everyone was on edge every second of every day. No on really let their guard down for a second, knowing to do so would be the last second they lived.

Even though she and Naruto were together, they had never actually 'been' together. The act simply left one too spent and vulnerable to react should the worst occur. Since she and Naruto were the two most critical pieces of the plan to destroy Madara, they were the only two that never really had the ability to relax and just enjoy what time they had left.

And as much as she hated to admit it, their ever constant vigilance was one of the reasons they had survived the final attack by Madara.

The other reason was the sacrifice their friends made to ensure their escape.

"Well… we need a place to stay." Hanabi said thoughtfully as her gaze slowly drifted to the ground in front of her. "And some clothing, we can't keep wearing what we brought from our old home. We stand out too much." Naruto nodded, it made sense. Hanabi was always so thoughtful. Naruto personally didn't have any problems with his own clothing or what others thought of it, but then again he knew not everyone shared his opinion of orange being the chosen color of God.

Naruto's stomach growled loudly startling the two. He scratched the back of his head with his free hand and chuckled sheepishly. "I don't suppose you're up for some non-hospital food first before we actually start working on all that stuff."

Hanabi smiled as she patted Naruto's stomach. Naruto was always hungry, but she had to admit she was dying for something other than that crap they fed you in hospitals. "That's not a bad idea, no ramen though."

"What?! No Ramen! But…"

"Naruto…" The look in Hanabi's eye started to change as she glared at Naruto. "I just got out of the hospital, I need 'real' food, not ramen."

"Alright, alright, no ramen." Naruto muttered, sometimes Hanabi could be really scary.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: No action in this chapter unfortunately. There will be some in the next however. This chapter was designed to help build the foundation of the story. There is definitely some foreshadowing in this chapter.

Just some fore warning. I will be following canon Sekirei for the most part. Most of the major events that happened in Sekirei will happen here, the only difference is that the outcome of each major event will change, sometimes quite a bit. Heck, even their initiation may have a different cause than before. Anyways, almost every major event will occur again in this story but how they start, how they progress and how they end can, and more than likely will, be different. Earlier events will be more similar than later events as the changes to the outcomes have ripple effects. I also reserve the right to change the above statement at any time should the story go off in a different direction than canon ^_^.

Also, I'm following the manga, not the anime, this doesn't change much except that the ending of the second season of the Sekirei anime essentially doesn't happen.

Please review if you can, I'd love to have comments, even negative ones provided they're not pure flames. People get better by making mistakes and having them pointed out so we can correct them. Of course that doesn't mean you have to be critical, just if you notice something in the process of reading the chapter, let me know.

One thing I'm not entirely sure on is the chakra circulatory system. I don't think it was EVER properly explained in Naruto, and some of the things done in the show contradict what information there was provided for it. I basically needed the damage done by Sasuke to be critical enough that Hanabi can't use her chakra anymore and I just hoped I created a logical enough reason for it.


	3. Chapter 2: Encounter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**As promised last chapter, there will be some fighting in this chapter, although considering who it is, don't expect an epic battle.**

**Review Responses: **First off, some people have mentioned conflict between Hanabi and Naruto's Sekirei. There will be of course, but she'll come to accept them for various different reasons. Hanabi was never given a true personality in Naruto so she's basically a blank slate. That being said she's not just going to roll over and accept it. For the Sekirei I have already planned, I've already figured out how to work her acceptance into the story. For anyone else though it's going to take some more work.

Just to set Hanabi's age straight since there could be some questions about it. In the anime she started as 7, Naruto as 12. Right now she's 20 and Naruto is 25. It works out if you go over the timeline. 1 year pre-time skip, 2.5 years during time-skip, ~2 years post time-skip (Naruto starts 15 and is currently 17), then 8 years between where the anime/manga currently is and this story.

Also, when it comes to Naruto's blood. I hadn't planned anything with it, it doesn't really convey any immediate 'combat' increases either. It's good for recovery and stamina, but not for actual combat so it wouldn't actually do a whole lot. Stamina has never really been an issue in Sekirei. Naruto's near instantaneous regeneration is due to the combination of his genes and Kurama, not because of his bloodline. Plus it'll take awhile for Takami to adapt it to others. It's more of a money-making scheme to get MBI out of debt due to Minaka's insane Sekirei Plan. However the observant would have noticed something else that will come into play in the future.

**Chapter 2: Encounter**

They had been here, in Shinto Teito, for two months now, not including the week and a bit spent in the hospital. The two were just now getting used to all the surprises and wonders that Shinto Teito seemed to offer them. At the start every time they turned around they seemed to be hit with surprise after surprise.

The wide variety of vehicles never ceased to amaze them. Every time they thought they'd seen every vehicle imaginable a new one would pop around the corner. From small two wheeled bikes to massive eighteen wheeled monstrosities. The ships, or boats as they were called here, astounded them with their ability to be able to move without wind, and the sheer size of some of them such as the 'cruise liners' and 'tankers' were simply mind boggling. They still to this day didn't know how the people of this world managed to keep such enormous constructs floating as if it was nothing. And don't even get them started on the flying machines that they later learned were called airplanes. Single man hang-gliders were the most complex flying machines that Naruto and Hanabi had any experience with but those were simple things. The massive metal hulks that flew through the sky effortlessly at speeds that made most Shinobi jealous were a true sight to behold.

Hanabi had spent an entire day just staring at them landing and leaving a large structure they had learned was called an airport. Naruto had idly wondered later that same day if Hanabi had developed a new hobby on the spot.

There were many electronic devices that Naruto and Hanabi had never seen before, and still had no clue how to use. The televisions were a fascinating thing to discover. In their old home they could only be used to play pre-recorded videos. Here they seemed to be able to receive real time feed from a multitude of locations with ease. Naruto hadn't even bothered trying to figure out what was on every channel, there was just so much that he couldn't retain it. Although he did memorize what channel the cooking channel was on. They had a special on how to make ramen one day and that forever engrained that channel in his mind as the greatest of all time.

During the second month Naruto did buy a cell phone for himself and Hanabi. It was very much like the wireless communicators that ANBU often used back home, only much more sophisticated. There were so many buttons and weird flashy pictures in the phone that he didn't even try to figure them out. Once he found out how to call Hanabi that was all he needed. Hanabi however decided to go a bit further and learned how to use most of the functionality of the phone. She had even downloaded this 'app' she called 'Angry Birds' and said it was very amusing and entertaining. Naruto didn't want anything to do with any angry birds. He still had trouble sleeping sometimes due to all the angry crows he's had to deal with over the course of his life. He'd be much happier with less 'angry birds' around.

True to Takami's word though, the MBI card seemed to open doors that would have normally been shut. It had been very easy for the two of them to get a place for themselves by using it. It was just a small single bedroom condo on the fifteenth floor of a high-rise building in the northern section of Shinto Teito. It seemed that although the MBI card had limitless money, there was a limit to how much could be used in a single transaction. There was no going around buying luxurious mansions or large detached homes.

They were, however, able to buy the small condo they were in outright. The condo had a single master-bedroom that was connected to the living room. This was a small square area in which the kitchen was attached to. A four foot wall/island separated the kitchen from the living room making the two rooms almost one. There was a small closet by the door and a large bathroom with a bath tub and shower connected to the bedroom. It was a small place, but it had all the necessities. They didn't get much in the way of furniture. The bedroom had a large bed for the two of them, a dresser for their clothes, the normal clothing they had bought since they kept their ninja gear on them at all times, and two nightstands with a lamp on each. The living room had a couch, TV, a TV stand and a small living room table. That was it. They usually just ate at the island between the kitchen and the living room or on the couch.

The finishing touch to the condo was a self-destruction system. Although they doubted they'd ever need it old habits died hard. In hard to see and out of the way places chakra infused seals were imbedded into walls, pieces of furniture, and windows. These were basically explosive tags without the tag. With a single hand sign and some chakra Naruto could detonate the entire apartment from two blocks away if he felt it had ever been compromised. Hanabi knew how as well, but due to her inability to mould chakra she wasn't able to detonate it.

After trapping the house the two of them were finally living comfortably, for their standards anyways. With everything for their condo bought outright they didn't have to worry about many monthly fees, they only had to worry about something called a maintenance fee. That was something else Naruto and Hanabi had learned the hard way. There seemed to be fees heaped upon fees heaped upon fees, with very little discernible reason as to why. It was as if everyone was simply out to grab as much money, as quickly as possible, with little regards to stuff such as long term sustainability or even common sense.

And what's worse was that everyone around them seemed to just accept it as status quo. It was very confusing and speaking of confusing though Naruto and Hanabi both had made a very startling realization early on. Everyone here seemed so happy and carefree compared to what they were used to, but at the same time they seemed to ignore virtually everything around them. If it didn't directly impact their lives right that second they seemed to just pretend it never existed at all. That kind of attitude would have gotten you killed the moment you stepped out of your village back in the Elemental Nations, even before the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

It seemed ignorance really was bliss.

At present time Naruto and Hanabi were enjoying the sunset reflecting off the buildings in Shinto Teito. They were currently seated at the edge of a large sky scrapper, watching the sun set in the distance. Hanabi may have lost her shinobi abilities but Naruto still had his, and running up the side of the building was just as easy as tree climbing. The only difficult part was avoiding being seen. There would have been a few too many awkward questions if someone had seen him scale the side of a building like he was taking an everyday stroll down the sidewalk.

The two of them were currently in their civilian clothes. One of the first things they had done after leaving the hospital was buy a new wardrobe for the both of them. If they wanted to blend in, they needed the proper clothing. It hadn't taken them long to find a store that sold clothing, they appeared to be everywhere, and the MBI card had taken care of all the costs.

Naruto was currently wearing a pair of running shoes with black socks and beige cargo pants. An orange t-shirt with the picture of a fox frolicking in a forest covered his torso. Sown into the left arm of the t-shirt was a black spiral while the right arm had the symbol of a leaf. He wanted to keep a part of his old life with him at all times and this was the best he could do while being inconspicuous. Hanabi had done the sewing having learned it as part of her lessons as a woman in the Hyuga household. Hinata had known as well, and had been great at it, but Hanabi had picked up enough to do simple things.

Hanabi had changed her wardrobe to be a little less revealing than before. She still wore skin tight pants but they went all the way down to her ankles. On her feet were a pair of sandals that supported her heels and had two straps go across the top of her feet; the front strap branched off to tuck in beside her big toe. She wore a loose short-sleeves white shirt that covered her mid-rift but dipped low enough in the neck to show off a little cleavage. She didn't wear a bra, she didn't need one. Her breasts didn't sag in the least. All in all Naruto thought she looked drop dead gorgeous.

Not that she ever looked anything less.

"Even in a city such as this, you can still see such beautiful sights." Hanabi said with a content sigh. Her head was resting against Naruto's shoulder as she gazed out over the city. It had been a hectic past two months getting adjusted to their new environment. They were just now getting around to actually enjoying some of the sights. "Beauty exists everywhere." Her sister Hinata had always enjoyed watching the sunrise and sunset. She would make an excuse to watch them whenever she could. The opportunities to do so waned greatly after Konoha had been destroyed, but she still tried from time to time.

"Mhmm." Naruto murmured as he wrapped his arm around Hanabi. "I have a beautiful sight before me and you in my arms." Naruto said with a smile, although the sight he was referring to had nothing to do with the sunset. He gazed down at the beautiful woman in his arms, he loved the way she felt in his arms. He also loved how he could see down the front of her shirt whenever they were together like this. It was a beautiful sight he never got tired of. He knew somewhere that his old sensei Jiraiya would be proud of how he turned out. "The only way this could be better is if I had a hot steaming bowl of ramen in my lap."

Hanabi sighed in resignation. She loved Naruto with all her heart, but sometimes she wasn't sure what he loved more, her or ramen. It was a question she was sure would tear him apart should she ever ask it. She really didn't want to cause her Naruto to have a mental breakdown.

"Want to get a quick bite to eat before we head back?" Naruto asked as he gently trailed his fingers up and down Hanabi's side. He wasn't feeling hungry before but the moment he mentioned ramen he became hungry all of a sudden.

The sunset was almost finished by this time, there were probably only a few minutes left as the last vestiges of orange shot across the cityscape. "I could use some ice cream." Hanabi said after contemplating for a moment. She lifted her head from Naruto's shoulder, "I'll stay up here while you get some. I want to enjoy the sunset to the end."

Naruto shot Hanabi a smile, "Alright, I'll be right back." Naruto stood up and stretched a little, ice cream wasn't so bad every now and then as well, it wasn't ramen but it was still quite good. "Be good now and don't fall off!" Naruto said with a laugh as he got ready to head down to ground level.

Hanabi just gave him a mock glare and pushed Naruto off the building. There was a startled yelp as Naruto began to free fall through the sky. "I want mint chip ice cream!" Hanabi yelled after her plummeting yellow-haired shinobi.

"Hanabiiiiii!" Naruto whined as he broke terminal velocity. This wasn't what Naruto had in mind when he was getting ready to go down, he was just going to run down the side. Of course he would survive the fall, Hanabi had no doubt about that which is why she wasn't concerned about it in the slightest. Even she would have been able to survive that fall if she still retained her ability to mould chakra.

Naruto righted himself in the air and quickly applied his chakra to all parts of his body. He'd be a little jarred when he landed but he'd suffer no damage. With a massive crash Naruto slammed into the paved sidewalk. His knees bent due to the suddenness of the impact and he laid a single hand on the ground to steady himself. Naruto stood and shook his legs a little before staring at the sidewalk.

"I better get moving, I don't think I want anyone to think I'm responsible for this." Naruto said as he hurried off to a nearby ice cream store. They, or rather Hanabi, had noticed the store on their stroll through the city earlier in the afternoon. The next morning people would stare at the small crater in the sidewalk and all the spider web cracks that radiated outwards from it and shrug it off as just one more mystery that existed within Shinto Teito.

Hanabi chuckled lightly to herself as she watched Naruto scurry away from the small crater he had made. Despite not having her Byakugan anymore she was still blessed with incredible sight, way beyond the standard 20/20 vision. A remnant no doubt of her once all-seeing eye technique.

It was soon after Naruto had left that the last vestiges of the sunset had disappeared and the lights of the city took over. It still marvelled Hanabi to this day just how bright it was at night in the city. It was like the day had never really ended. There was so much light pollution all around her that she could still see just as well at night as she could during the day. It also helped that she had excellent night vision, another gift left over from her days as a shinobi.

Hanabi closed her eyes and leaned back on her hands. There was a nice breeze this high up, just enough to keep her cool in the warmth of the city night. With her eyes closed she became more sensitive to the sounds around her. The vehicles moving around below, an airplane landing at the airport across the city, the rustle of fabric in the distance, the crunch of someone landing on a...

Hanabi's eyes shot open as she used her arms to push off the ledge and back flip away and onto her feet. There was someone else here on the rooftop, and it wasn't Naruto. It didn't take her long to notice the other individual, or rather a pair of individuals.

The first was a young man with short brown hair and small black eyes. He wore a dark green hoody, with the hood down, pale gray pants and black shoes. His companion was a young woman who had light brown hair with blue ribbons woven in and grey eyes. She stood about 158 cm and weighed probably just a little less than Hanabi did based on the sound of her footfalls. She wore a thigh length, tight white gown and black stockings as well as long black gloves. Around her neck was a piece of black cloth. The most interesting aspect of the young woman, and the one that alarmed Hanabi the most, was the giant hammer she dragged behind her.

The man noticed her almost right away and began to leer at her; it was hard to hide on an open rooftop in a place as well lit as Shinto Teito. "Well, well, what do we have here?" The man said as he approached Hanabi with an exaggerated swagger in his step. "A little lost sheep all alone on a rooftop."

Hanabi grimaced in disgust, this was the kind of creep she wouldn't have hesitated to stomp into the ground back in the Elemental Nations, not that anyone would have dared to approach her in such a way knowing she was the Hyuga Heiress. "Hardly lost, I'm here by choice watching the sunset, now shoo, I'm waiting for someone." Hanabi had switched over into her battle mode. Something about this whole situation had raised the alarm within her, and no self-respecting shinobi would ignore that, at least none that wished to live a long life.

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm the great Junichi Tanigawa! I can assure you I'm better than anyone you may be waiting for." He said as he stopped a few feet from Hanabi, dragging his eyes up and down Hanabi's body as he mentally undressed her. Hanabi suddenly felt like she need a hot shower to wash herself, she did not like the way he was looking at her but she was too much of a shinobi at heart to display any outward emotion. "My Yashima was taking me back to my place for the night, you should join us, I can show you a sight that surpasses anything you may have seen from up here."

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow at the man as her mouth formed a thin tight line, "I highly doubt you have anything that interests me. I'm only interested in real men, not little boys pretending to be all grown up." Hanabi snapped back, she had no patience for useless fools like the swaggering buffoon before her. "Now as I said before, get-"

Junichi reached for Hanabi's arm, "Now listen here you little-" He was never able to finish the sentence.

Hanabi hadn't hesitated. The moment he had reached for her she sprung into action. Her hands shot forward and grabbed the offending hand and wrist. With a quick twist she broke his hand at the point where it joined his forearm. Lightning quick she brought her hands back to her chest and then lashed out again hitting Junichi in the chest and stomach with two open palms. The young man doubled over as his breath left him. She may no longer be able to mould chakra but she still knew the basic movements of the gentle fist style, and it was more than enough against a regular civilian.

But Hanabi wasn't quite done yet. She shot around Junichi's side, grabbed his good arm and twisted it behind his back forcing him upright again before he had caught his breath. She then bent forward, knock his feet out from under him and threw the man over her shoulder. She didn't have the chakra to enhance it but all the training she had been through had left her with well above average strength, especially for a woman. Junichi landed in a heap at Yashima's feet.

"Junichi!" Yashima cried out in horror as she knelt beside her Ashikabi. She tried to massage his shoulders to work out some of the pain in them.

"You should take him and leave." Hanabi said in a tight voice, "I can't stand scum like him; I'd rather get molested by an octopus then be touched by that... pathetic excuse for a man." Hanabi waved a dismissing hand at Junichi, her lips twisted into a sneer.

"You stupid bitch." Junichi growled as he slowly got to his feet, cradling his broken wrist to his chest. "I'll make you pay for that, I'll make you fucking pay! Yashima!"

"Yes Ashikabi-sama?" Yashima said as she stood up beside her master.

Junichi glared venomously at Hanabi as he lifted his good hand to point at her. "Beat the bitch into submission. If she won't come willingly, I'll take her by force!" Junichi was shaking in rage, the mere thought that a woman, any woman, would willingly defy him let alone beat HIM up was unthinkable, unacceptable. "I'm gonna make her beg for more before I am through with her!"

"Yes Ashikabi-sama!" Yashima shouted as she shot forward, her hammer raised above her head.

Hanabi's eyes widened as she quickly jumped to the side. Yashima was fast, very fast, even while swinging that huge hammer around. She'd put Yashima as fast as the average Genin that was ready to take the Chunin exam. While not fast compared to what she had experienced before, compared to a civilian, and what she was now limited to, it was a problem, a serious problem.

A large explosion of dust and smoke erupted from the area where Yashima's hammer had hit as the roof cratered from the enormous impact. Hanabi stared at the crater in shock, a second hit in that area would cave that section of the roof in. The bigger problem was her strength. With that hammer she was easily as strong, physically at least, as Sakura. She wasn't on par with Tsunade yet thankfully, the roof probably would have given after the first blow if she was.

Hanabi wasn't going to be able to deal with Yashima as easily as she did Junichi.

Yashima rushed at Hanabi again, swinging the hammer horizontally as she came within range. Hanabi rushed forward as well but unlike her opponent she dropped to the ground and slid across the coarse gravel rooftop. She could feel the wind from hammer as it whistled over her. She dug her hands into the ground to stop herself just before Yashima and snapped her feet, aiming for her kneecaps. With a thud her feet connected but instead of snapping the leg backwards, like what would happen with most people, and breaking them simply gave a little and shot to either side as Yashima's feet twisted across the gravel.

Hanabi grit her teeth in frustration. It seemed in addition to high speed, super strength, she also had incredible durability. That just made this fight much more difficult. With the agility, fluidic thinking and mobility that only came through years of training and experience Hanabi quickly adjusted her tactic. If her opponent wasn't going to fall Hanabi would use her as leverage. Anchoring her feet against the inside of Yashima's knees Hanabi reacted faster than either of the two individuals on the rooftop thought was possible. She twisted her torso and brought her right arm up. Yashima may have great physical attributes, but she lacked experience and training. She had severely over-extended her reach with her swing and Hanabi exploited that by slamming her right hand into the butt of the hammer. Between the force of the swing, the compromised footing of Yashima, and the added strike from Hanabi, the hammer slide out of Yashima's hands and few across the rooftop.

Hanabi completed her spin, turning 180 degrees so that she was now facing the gravel rooftop. With strength born from years of training and desperation she hooked her feet behind Yashima's knees and brought yanked her feet forward. Already off balanced, and utterly surprised at the complex series of moves that Hanabi had done in just moments, Yashima lost her foot and fell flat on her back.

All of that happened in a matter of seconds. It had been too fast for Junichi to follow or Yashima to react to.

Hanabi wasn't going to waste this opportunity. Being an experience practitioner of the Gentle Fist style she knew of several areas of the body that couldn't be trained, couldn't be strengthened, no matter how much one tried. She had had enough, she was going to end this fight before it got out of hand, she was going for the jugular.

Literally.

Unfortunately Hanabi had underestimated her opponent. As she leapt at the downed girl Yashima quickly brought her legs up and kicked out. Two feet slammed into Hanabi's chest and she grunted in pain as she felt a couple of her ribs crack. The force of the blow knocked Hanabi away from Yashima. Another grunt of pain escape Hanabi as she slammed into the rooftop a dozen feet away from her opponent and slid a few feet before stopping.

"That's going to hurt in the morning." Hanabi muttered to herself as she got to her knees and held her ribs tenderly. She hoped the damage wasn't too serious; she wasn't looking forward to going back to the hospital. Hanabi slowly rose to her feet and stared across the rooftop at her opponents.

Yashima hadn't been idle while Hanabi was getting back up. She had already retrieved her hammer. "What are you doing you stupid slave?" Junichi yelled at Yashima as he stomped over to her. "I told you to beat her, not get humiliated like this!" He hit her in the face to accentuate his point.

Hanabi growled at the treatment Yashima was getting. She may be fighting against the young woman right now but she was also a woman herself. Seeing another woman get abused by her man made her righteous feminine fury burn brightly.

If Junichi didn't win this battle he was going to find himself without his balls after this is all said and done.

"Get over here!" Junichi growled as he pulled Yashima in close, "I can't believe you need something like this for someone who isn't a Sekirei, useless bitch." Junichi muttered as he slammed his mouth roughly over Yashima's. He snaked his arm around her body and aggressively groped her breasts through her shirt as he gave Yashima a rough, passionless kiss.

"Overpowering urge to kill rising." Hanabi snarled as she stared at the impromptu molestation session going on before her. It didn't matter what their relationship was, that did not look like something two people in love with each other would do.

And then it happened. The entire rooftop lit up in a brilliant blue light as what appeared to be dozens of baby blue petals sprouted from Yashima's back like a multi-layered lotus flower. Despite the situation Hanabi couldn't help but mouth the word 'beautiful' as the she gazed upon the glowing wings. It was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen.

Yashima opened her eyes and gazed at Junichi lovingly, "The hammer of my pledge. Enemy of my Ashikabi. Shatter!" Yashima cried out as the roof around her cratered as her power spiked enormously.

_Well that's not good_, Hanabi thought to herself as she witnessed the event. Her ability to sense chakra had been reduced to almost nothing, but she could sense it now, radiating from the brown haired woman across the rooftop. This was definitely not a good thing. Nor was the fact that both Yashima and her hammer were radiating visible chakra, they were encased in it. It almost looked like a chakra cloak of some sort.

To make matters worse Hanabi's broken ribs would slow her down.

Yashima shot towards Hanabi, this time moving even faster than before. Hanabi grit her teeth and prepared herself to dodge, she had to time it perfectly, if that hammer so much as grazed her, she was going to be in a world of pain.

"Number 84, Yashima is here!" Yashima shouted as she brought her hammer down in an overhead swing. "GRAVITY HAMMER!" Faster than Hanabi had anticipated, faster than she could react, the hammer swung towards her. The hammer whistled through the air, shockwaves rippling outwards as it displaced air so fast a void was left in its wake. Then it stopped.

It stopped with a brilliant yellow flash of light.

There before Hanabi stood the most amazing sight she had ever seen: Naruto.

He stood before her, his left hand stretched out above him, holding back the entire destructive force of the Yashima's norito, with a single hand. A shockwave had rippled outwards as the massive blow met an immovable object and stopped dead. A series of cracks and screeches were heard as Naruto dug his fingers into the head of the metal hammer. His entire posture was rigid, tense, and angry. He was not happy. Naruto glared at Yashima with all the force, power, and killing intent befit of a Hokage.

"Who the fuck are you!" Junichi shouted as he pointed at Naruto. "That's my bitch you're standing over, I found her first, get the fuck of the way!" The hammer in Naruto's grasp shattered into a million pieces as his chakra flared to godlike levels. The power Yashima had displayed earlier became as insignificant as a drop of water in an ocean compared to what Naruto was unleashing at the moment. His pupils became slits and flashed a deep red color as he focused the full force of his and Kurama's killing intent upon the hapless male. Hanabi was honestly surprised he hadn't transformed yet.

Junichi immediately soiled himself as he felt himself die a thousand times in a single moment. The dark abyss the existed beyond sheer terror rose up around him. It felt as if every single cell in his body was screaming in fear, terror and despair. Every ounce of his being, every fiber of his existence, screamed for him to run, to flee. But nothing would respond. His mind refused to function. He was too terrified to even think, afraid that even a single movement, a single breath, would unleash an endless nightmarish hell so terrifying that it defied his ability to comprehend.

Yashima was quivered in sheer terror, backing away slowly, trying to make herself seem as small as possible in an attempt to escape the notice of the 'power' before her. She didn't even consider going to the aid of her Ashikabi. The overpowering presence before her overwhelmed the bond between her and Junichi.

Even the people in the streets below, the few that there were, suddenly decided they wanted to be somewhere else, somewhere far, far away. Most of them left Shinto Teito and never returned.

"That's 'my' fiancée you were claiming as your own." Naruto said in an emotionless voice. Hanabi knew that voice, she had heard it before, it wasn't the voice of Naruto, nor of Kurama. It was the voice of the Rokudaime Hokage. A voice of pure authority. It demanded attention, it demanded obedience, it demanded respect and it expect immediate compliance.

Despite it being Naruto, Hanabi couldn't help but shiver slightly. Whenever Naruto became like this, someone died and she had a pretty good idea on who it was going to be.

Faster than anyone could see Naruto appeared before Junichi. "You, you will die here tonight. But before I kill you, I will take away the only thing that cares about you." Naruto whispered. Naruto grabbed Junichi by the throat with the iron grip of his right hand and threw him across the rooftop. Naruto's turned his head to watch Junichi's trajectory for a moment before his right again blurred, seals on his wrist glowing faintly. A whistling sound was heard as four wind enhanced kunai shot after Junichi. With a cry of pain Junichi slammed into the wall beside the door leading onto the roof. A moment later, before Junichi could even begin to slide down the wall the kunai slammed into his hands and feet and pinned him to the wall like he had just been crucified.

"Junichi!" Yashima cried out in horror as she began to move to her Ashikabi's side, her desire to protect Junichi overcoming the monstrous pressure that had been placed upon her.

But Naruto was having none of that. An instant later he was beside Yashima as he slammed a chakra enhanced punch straight into her stomach. The force of the blow doubled Yashima over and knocked her up into the air as it shattered all the ribs in her body. A shockwave shot through her body and was visible for several feet behind her as the power behind the blow violently displaced the air behind the sekirei. With a few quick movements Yashima was grabbed by the back of her hair and slammed into the roof top.

"**DO. NOT. MOVE!**" Naruto commanded and Yashima obeyed.

"Lotus!" Naruto shouted and Hanabi was there at his side with one knee on the ground and the other bent before her. She rested her left hand on her bent knee and held her right fist over her heart. When the Hokage beckoned, she was there, no matter her injuries.

"Yes Hokage-sama."

Naruto bit his thumb and wiped some blood on a seal over his heart. There was a flash of yellow light and Naruto was garbed in his in his Hokage gear. He stared down at Yashima emotionlessly as he reached into one of the pockets on the bandoleer and pulled out a certain scroll. The scroll was tossed into the air and a few quick hand signs later the scroll suddenly enlarged with a puff of smoke. The Hokage quickly opened the scroll up and laid it on the ground between Yashima and Hanabi.

Hanabi had never seen this scroll before; it must have been one of her fiancée's earlier works before he had gotten started on the causality reversal array. There were two circular spirals on opposite ends of the scroll with a bunch of lines woven between the two. When the lines intersected a circle appeared with strange scrawling and runes around it. It looked very complex and was beyond anything Hanabi knew about.

Hanabi's master pointed at the circle on the scroll nearest Hanabi, "Lay down on the scroll there with your stomach exposed and on the circle."

"Yes Hokage-sama." Hanabi replied as she shed her shirt and laid down upon the scroll where her master had commanded. Her master never explained himself when he was like this. He just gave commands and expected to be obeyed. And she would obey, no matter who she had to expose herself to; modesty was a luxury shinobi were not allowed to have.

"And you." The Rokudaime Hokage started as he lifted Yashima up by her hair causing her to cry out in pain. He grabbed the front of her gown and tore it from her body, exposing Yashima's breasts to the world. "You are going to pay Hanabi back for the harm you caused her." His foot lashed out twice in rapid succession, too quick for anyone to follow, and shattered both of Yashima's kneecaps causing the young woman to cry out in agony. He dragged her over to other large circle on the scroll and slammed her down on the ground, positioning her so that her stomach was over the circle much like Hanabi. "**DO. NOT. MOVE!**" Like before Yashima obeyed, too emotionally overpowered to consider doing anything else.

The last leader of Konoha knelt just before the very center of the scroll where a pair of circles overlapped each other and all the lines that radiated from the two circles at the edges congregated upon. The Hokage charged chakra into his hands as he flipped through several hand seals. "**Chakra Tensō Fuin**!" he shouted as he slammed his hands down upon the overlapping circles in the center of the scroll. Black lines slithered up Yashima's and Hanabi's stomach to form a circle with a set of rune characters lining it directly above the circle on the scroll. This technique wasn't like the standard chakra transfer technique that many shinobi could use. This one was far more complete, far more potent. It didn't just take the chakra from one body and transfer it to the other.

It took everything even remotely related to the chakra. It was the first attempt to simply rip everything that made Madara's body function and seal it somewhere else. The issue came with getting Madara disabled long enough to perform it the technique, which just wasn't going to happen.

When Naruto was in his 'Hokage' mode all his thoughts became focused towards achieving a specific goal. When it came to developing plans and strategies to achieve that specific goal no one could rival him, not even Shikamaru. The tunnel vision had its downsides but here, in this world, they weren't even noticeable. While in that mode, and garbed as the Hokage of Konoha, Naruto ceased to be Naruto. He became the leader of Konoha, nothing more, nothing less.

The Hokage had noted one very curious and interesting thing when he had laid eyes on Yashima. She was producing an enormous amount of chakra, but she wasn't doing any chakra moulding. Something inside her was simply 'producing' it. While he couldn't see a person's tenketsu or chakra coil he could sense how it flows through the body and whether or not the coils are being strained. Neither was the case here. The chakra wasn't flowing through the coils like normal; it was simply permeating through the entire body without using any noticeable pathways.

Regardless though, it was definitely chakra.

Yashima began to scream and writhe as pure agony ripped through her body. Once the seal had been activated it locked the person and place, preventing them from moving, all Yashima could do was scream.

Brilliant blue chakra began to flow out of Yashima and began to following the trail of lines drawn in the scroll. As the chakra converged on the overlapping circles and began to slither across the he began to adjust the chakra so that it was more compatible with Hanabi. Even though it was chakra, it was still slightly different since it was someone else's. The process took far longer than he had originally thought lasting almost thirty minutes. Yashima had far more chakra than he had originally guessed. The young woman probably had no idea how to utilize it properly. It was at the very end of the transfer that something peculiar happened. A soft blue glowing orb, that seemed to pulsate and generate chakra from literally nothing, was ripped out of Yashima's stomach. Once free it began to slowly float across the scroll as it was pulled along with the rest of the chakra being transferred into Hanabi.

The Rokudaime analyzed the sphere of chakra carefully as it reached the overlapping circles his hands were placed over. He realized that this was the source of the young woman's power. It seemed to generate chakra at a constant rate and in certain emotionally charged states it would ramp up its production to match the unconscious demands of its host.

And then the orb of chakra was passed him and continued on over to Hanabi. It quivered for a few moments, almost as if it was alive, before it slowly settled into Hanabi, disappearing seamlessly into her without causing a single blemish on her skin. The number 84 began to glow brightly on her stomach for a moment before it faded away. Hanabi gasped in ecstasy as an incredible feeling spread throughout her body. It was like being reunited with a long lost lover, as if a missing piece of her had finally returned.

She could feel her chakra again, and what's more, she could manipulate it. Tears of joy began to leak unbidden from Hanabi's eyes as she stared up into the starry sky. Yashima however hadn't fared as well. Her eyes were open and staring up at the night sky empty and lifeless. With the seals job done all the ink markings glowed red for a moment before disappearing with a sizzling sound. A few moments later and the scroll was completely blank. Junichi could only stare on in shock and horror at what he had just witnessed. Just like that, he had lost his Sekirei; the only person in the whole world that had actually cared about him.

The Hokage stood up and stared at Junichi without expression. Hanabi had been healed; Yashima had been punished and dealt with. Now there was just one final task to take care of. "Lotus!" He commanded.

In a flash Hanabi was at her Hokage's side, "Yes Hokage-sama." She hadn't bothered to put her shirt back on but no one present took notice.

"Deal with this eyesore however you see fit." The Hokage waved his hand at Junichi as if he was nothing more than trash, "Just ensure that he does not live."

"As you command my lord Hokage." Hanabi responded as she stood up walked over to Junichi. Countless methods of eliminating Junichi flashed through her mind, painful, torturous methods. He had insulted her multiple times and tried to beat her into submission with his companion. What's worse he had shown complete and total disrespect and disregard for the female species. Her righteous feminine fury would deny nothing less than pure agony. Hanabi couldn't, wouldn't, show any outward emotion while she completed this task for her leader but that didn't mean she couldn't anticipate and enjoy it on the inside.

In the end she decided to kill two birds with one stone. Junichi and how much of her abilities had been returned. "**Byakugan**!" Hanabi shouted and there it was, oh how glorious it was for her to be able to see again, to truly see. The veins around Hanabi's eyes bulged as her bloodline activated granting her 360 degree x-ray vision in a five mile radius. Oh how she had longed for this. She had always taken her bloodline for granted. It wasn't until she had lost it that she realized just how much a part of her it had truly been, how much she 'needed' it.

Too Junichi however, it was a terrifying sight. Despite Hanabi's state of dress, or lack thereof, he couldn't focus on anything other than the demonic looking eyes that Hanabi was staring at him with. The killing intent that was rolling off her along with the engorged eyes and expressionless face would have made him soil himself if he hadn't already relieved himself of all he had earlier.

The last thing Junichi ever heard was, "**Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō!**"

**x~X~x**

"Sahashi-sama!" A worker at MBI ran up to Takami Sahashi, he was panting and gasping for breath as if he had just sprinted a marathon. The woman in question just kept walking on but she did beckon her hand for the man to continue. "Sahashi-sama! We just got a level 5 deactivation over at the east end of the city!"

Takami Sashashi whirled around in surprise. "A what? Who was it? Where did it happen? Which Ashikabi/Sekirei pair did it?" She demanded, bombarding the poor man with questions in rapid succession. There hadn't even been a level 4 deactivation thus far in the game, and now out of the blue there was a level 5? A level 5 deactivation was something they had wanted to avoid at all costs but knew would occur eventually.

She just never expected it to be so soon.

"I-I..." The man swallowed hard, he had never seen Takami this intense before it was more than a little daunting. "It was Yashima, Sekirei No. 84. Her Ashikabi is Junichi Tanigawa. From what we could tell it happened on a rooftop over on the east end." The man swallowed again, hard, this was the part he was dreading, "As for who did it... we don't know. There were no Sekirei signals aside from Yashima anywhere near the vicinity."

"Did you bother checking any of the satellites or surveillance footage?" Takami demanded, god she hated dealing with stupid people. Did they only ever think to use the Sekirei tracking devices? God what she wouldn't give to have an aid that could think. Minaka didn't count because he was bat-shit crazy. "Get me a laptop and meet me at the helicopter. Since you're useless as a tracker, you're now going to be fetching and cleaning my shit for the rest of your career, now MOVE!" Takami barked at the scared worker.

The man whimpered in despair as he fled back down the hallway. The last person assigned to be Takami's gopher had thrown themselves from the top of the MBI tower in under two weeks. He spent the entire journey towards the ground babbling in horror about chains and saw horses.

Takami was soon in the air in an MBI helicopter on her way towards the site of the down Sekirei while a second helicopter followed closed behind with a member of the discipline squad, Haihane, just in case there was some trouble at the site. A level 5 deactivation meant that whoever did it had no regard for the life they were taking. In her lap was a portable computer that she was typing away at furiously. She was getting frustrated at the lack of results though. The morons hadn't thought to manoeuvre any of the satellites lens so that adequate footage of scene could be obtained. The building was too tall for any regular video surveillance footage to catch a glimpse; those cameras were always pointed down not up.

Takami still hadn't discovered anything by the time they had arrived at the site of the battle. The rooftop was only large enough for a single helicopter to land so she signaled for the other helicopter to land on the neighbouring building.

The head of MBI's Sekirei Project hopped out of the helicopter before it had even finished landing, some of her personal security guards following close behind in full combat gear, as she hurried over to the downed Sekirei. She arrived at a curious sight though. Yashima had some visible bruises and cuts, but nothing to signify a level five deactivation. It was well known that Junichi was an abusive Ashikabi so most of it was probably done by him. However whatever had happened to Yashima spoke of unbearable pain if her face was anything to go by. She looked as if she had died screaming in agony.

"Ma'am you should look at this!" One of her security detail said from across the rooftop. Takami looked up from the fallen Sekirei and started to head over to the location her guard had indicated. In her place a couple of scientists knelt down beside Yashima's corpse to do a preliminary autopsy.

"What is it; I highly doubt it's as sig..." Takami trailed off as she stared at Junichi's dead body that was still crucified to the wall. Takami blanched slightly and shuddered as she gathered her wits and settled her stomach. Junichi was dead just like his Sekirei, but while his Sekirei had no visible life threatening wounds, Junichi...

"I think there's more of him laying on the ground here than there is inside the body." One of the security detail muttered as he stared at the corpse in shock. The body, or what was left of it, was still crucified to the wall but the chest had been ruptured. As if there had been a massive build up of pressure inside his chest that had just violently exploded outwards.

The most curious sight however was a pair of balls shoved in his mouth. From the looks of it, they appeared to be his own.

This was a problem. They may have been able to cover up a dead Sekirei, they didn't actually exist on any government registry, or a member of the security detail, they could just say he died in the line of duty. However for an Ashikabi to be dead, a supposedly regular run of the mill citizen, that was going to cause some questions to be raised.

"Whoever did this is a sick bastard." A second member of the security detail muttered as he glared at the horizon, wishing he could see who had done this. Takami wasn't quite so ready to label the attacker that yet. While it was a terrible scene, there were too many unknown variables to make a guess as to motive or cause. That and she was well aware of Junichi's personality. His Sekirei made him feel empowered, and if he had accosted the wrong individual, say a yakuza boss or even Higa Izumi, that man wouldn't hesitate to kill, then things could have easily gotten messy real fast.

Takami was only glad that Junichi was pretty much an outcast from every inch of society otherwise this would have been a far more difficult problem to cover up.

"Impossible!" A cry rang out from across the rooftop, bringing Takami's attention back to the fallen Sekirei.

"What's impossible?" Takami said as she rushed over.

"The Sekirei core! It's gone!" The female scientist said as she went over the readings on her device.

"What do you mean gone?" Takami demanded as she knelt down beside the scientist and start to go over the results. This was unprecedented. The core of a Sekirei was basically their spirit, it WAS them. Without it they were just a lump of flesh. No level of technology anyone possessed could forcefully remove it from a Sekirei. Even No. 88 Musubi hadn't lost her core when she had been kidnapped. It had simply been damaged beyond repair when multiple extraction attempts had failed. When No. 08 Yume had sacrificed her core to save Musubi it had been willingly, and there hadn't been any use of technology involved.

Takami's eyes widened in surprise. Whoever did this knew what technique Yume had used to save Musubi. This was bad; whoever this mystery assailant was they possessed a technique that defied technological explanations. They could conceivably manipulate Sekirei at a level beyond even what MBI could accomplish.

Which brought up yet another disturbing fact. If No. 84's core had been removed, they could no longer track it. The tracking device had been associated with the crest, not the core. It was superficial at best. There was a Sekirei, or at least a Sekirei's power, running lose out there without any restraints.

And if it were to be sold to foreign governments or foreign corporations. If the technique used to extract the core got out.

Takami stood up quickly, she had to move quickly and pray that whatever had taken the core wasn't already on their way out of the city. "Gather the corpses quickly, we need to head back to MBI. We'll do a more thorough study of them when we get back to Headquarters. We need to place extra security measures into motion sooner than we had anticipated. Shinto Teito is now in lockdown. Nothing gets in or out unless we let it."

**x~X~x**

It was well after midnight when Naruto and Hanabi finally made it back to their condo. It had been quite the night for the two of them. It had been a long day and to finish it with a fight such as that was both mentally and emotionally exhausted. Physically both could go on for quite a bit longer.

Naruto had been returning with the ice cream when he had felt a massive chakra flare in the distance. He had disregarded it for a moment before realizing it had come from the rooftop where he had left Hanabi. He had used the **Hiraishin no Jutsu** to get there instantaneously, and just in time too. Hanabi would have died, or been close to death, if he had arrived even a moment later. Naruto could only use that jutsu to teleport to Hanabi. He hadn't been able to compress the seal small enough to put on projectiles like his father had. Hanabi however had the seal on her outer left thigh and it allowed him to be at her side in an instant.

Naruto's 'Hokage' mode disappeared the moment Junichi had been executed leaving Naruto feeling exhausted and spent. He never was able to keep it up for very long, and maintaining it over the course of the sealing was tiresome. It was one of the side effects of his focus so to speak. Every ounce of his being became focused and heightened and while it allowed him to think at super-human speeds it drained him incredibly quickly. It was similar to opening the celestial gates for the body, except these were mental gates placed on an individual's mind that prevented them from over-exerting their mind and thus burning out.

The two of them had agreed to head home after that. Naruto had rolled the blank scroll back up and tucked it into the bandoleer before he reverted back to his civilian clothing. He didn't want to leave any evidence of what had transpired behind.

As the two entered the condo Hanabi wandered over to the couch and sat down. Naruto locked the door behind her and joined her on the sofa. He wrapped his arms around Hanabi and pulled her into his chest. "I'm so glad I got there in time. If I had lost you, I don't know what I would have done." Naruto murmured softly as he kissed the top of her head.

Hanabi just blushed lightly and pressed her index fingers together. She loved it when Naruto became all cuddly like this. She lifted her head and gave Naruto a gentle smile before she nuzzled her face into his neck. "Nothing's going to happen to me now. I have my chakra back, I have my clan techniques, I have all my strength. I can take care of myself now." Hanabi replied softly.

Naruto shifted a little and raised Hanabi's head so that he could look her in the eyes. "You should never get over-confident, what if..."

"Shhh..." Hanabi said as she placed a finger on his lips. "IF that happens, and I doubt it will since I will always have you come to my rescue, I want you to move on." Hanabi said seriously. When Naruto opened his mouth to protest Hanabi frowned, just a little, and Naruto hushed up. "I'm serious. I don't want you to ever forget me, but I don't want you to mope around for the rest of your life. You deserve to be happy, and for as long as I'm here, I'll give you whatever happiness I can."

Naruto sighed in exasperation. "I can never win with you can I?" He murmured as he licked Hanabi's finger. Hanabi let out a little squeak as she hurriedly pulled her finger back. Naruto smiled at her as he bent forward and kissed her passionately.

Hanabi returned the kiss with equal fervor when suddenly Hanabi's chakra spiked to enormous levels. A brilliant blue light filled the room as baby blue petals sprouted from Hanabi's back in the shape of a multi-layered lotus, filling the room in its entirety. Where the wings reached the walls they bent and conformed to the shape of the room.

Even more startling than the light show in the room was what happened inside. Naruto felt his chakra enter Hanabi and in return Hanabi's chakra entered him. There was a snap like something being pulled taunt and suddenly they both became intimately aware of what the other was feeling as an unbreakable bond formed between the two. Unbeknownst to either the number 84 appeared beneath Hanabi's shirt and glowed with a brilliant blue light that matched the wings extending behind her.

"What the hell just happened?" Naruto asked as he pulled away in shock. He wasn't entirely upset with what happened, it's not like he had anything to hide from Hanabi anymore, but some warning would have been nice.

Hanabi looked behind her in wonder as she stared at the wings that had erupted behind her. They were identical to the ones that Yashima had appeared when Junichi had kissed her.

_Naruto..._ "I'm not entirely sure." Hanabi said as she admired her new accessories. The light started to die down as the wings faded away. "But the same thing appeared behind Yashima, that's the women you defeated on the rooftop, when that scum of mankind kissed her."

_Naruto._ "Huh, I wonder what it means." Naruto thought as he processed what had just happened. "Do you think it would happen every time we kissed? That could become quite awkward."

"I like them though." Hanabi said with a playful sniff.

_**NARUTO!**_ A shout slammed through Naruto's head as Kurama forced his voice past all of Naruto's conscious thought. Hanabi saw her love wince and hold his head slightly. She suddenly became worried that the bonding had an adverse affect on Naruto.

Naruto saw noticed her worry through the bond and gave her a wan smile. "Don't worry, just my inner fuzzy giving me a headache, I'll be right back." Naruto replied as his eyes glazed over. Hanabi nodded and brought Naruto's head down to rest on her shoulder.

Naruto stomped across the grassy field as he headed towards Kurama's location. Ever since he had unlocked the seal around Kurama and became friends the two had worked together to make Naruto's mindscape a little more hospitable than a damp musty sewer. Now it was a large endless plain of soft green grass and the assortment of flowers here and there. There were gentle hills and the odd valleys but it was otherwise flat. Kurama enjoyed relaxing in the valleys.

As Naruto crested the hill and approached the nine-tailed demon he snapped, "What do you want? I'm trying to have an intimate moment..." Naruto blinked once when saw it, then he blinked again. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a third time. It was still there.

"What the hell is that?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **I tried to do something in this story, I'm not sure if I succeeded or not. I want to place the emphasis on Naruto's 'Hokage' mode. I wanted it to seem that when he wore that gear, and acted like that, that Naruto ceased to exist and that there was only 'The Hokage'. I'm not sure if I was able to convey it properly or if I made it seem to forced with the overuse of certain words. Please get back to me on your comments, it'll decide how I handle any future situations when Naruto enters that state, and there will be future situations that require it.

Next chapter is canon starts, at least that's the plan anyways.

Also, the next chapter will be delayed. 2 things hit me, Planetside 2 being one of them, really enjoying that, and the second one is that someone stole my USB stick with my story so I lost all my latest work including 2 chapters worth of writing. So it's going to take some time to get back up to where I was. I have some backups but they're a couple weeks old meaning while I have most of my work. However until I at least get up to where I was and finish the chapter I was working on I won't be posting another chapter, well not unless 3 weeks come and go.

**Jutsu List**

**I won't list any jutsu's that were listed in earlier chapters so if there is a technique in this chapter that doesn't appear here, it means it appeared in an earlier chapter.**

**Naruto:**

**Chakra Tensō Fuin (**Chakra Transfer Seal**)**

This is a C-Rank technique. It's fairly easy to initiate and utilize once the scroll has been created, the difficulty lies only the creation itself. Normally it's meant to be used as a life saving procedure to help regulate and enhance chakra in someone that was suffering from chakra exhaustion. But if kept up for too long it could cause chakra exhaustion and death in the person that is having the chakra transferred from.

Naruto's technique is a little different from the norm in that he has the ability to analyze, monitor, and adjust any chakra that is being transferred through the seal, like a man-in-the-middle situation.

**Hiraishin no Jutsu (**Flying Thunder God Technique**)**


	4. Chapter 3: The Shrine Maiden

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**I'm back. Didn't need 3 weeks this time. I managed to re-write everything I lost and finish the chapter I was working on. I didn't get to the point I wanted to but I didn't feel like delaying any longer. Anyways due to this the next chapter will be delayed as well. I felt two 2 week intervals were better than a three week span followed by the regular schedule. Expect the next chapter on Christmas ^_^.**

**The hardest parts for me to write are filler. I know the key scenes I want and how to play them out and how to connect them, but filling the gaps inbetween and not making it feel rushed is the most difficult aspect of writing for me.**

**Review Responses: **Many people have wondered whether or not Hanabi is a Sekirei. The easy answer is yes and no. Much like how Miya is MORE than a regular Sekirei (with her having the only complete crest) Hanabi is ALSO more than a regular Sekirei, although in a different manner. She 'is' considered one, but she is more than just that. That much is obvious though since she was a Shinobi prior to getting a Sekirei tama. Side note is that neither Hanabi nor Naruto will realize she's a Sekirei until much later. They don't have an actual 'definition' as to what makes someone a Sekirei and until they get that revelation they won't put two and two together. A Sekirei is too much of an 'alien' concept for them to grasp yet *chuckle*.

Some have disliked how Naruto handled Yashima. But look at it from his point of view. There's a massive chakra spike by his fiancée. He teleports to her just in time to witness someone swinging a huge ass hammer meant to harm, if not kill, the only person he has left in the world. Do you THINK he's just going to sit around and go "Ho hum, I guess this is all a big misunderstanding." Hell no. He's going to kick ass and he won't care about names. We know she's got no choice and just following orders, but he doesn't. He acted on what little information he had.

Hanabi can't be tracked. The tracking device is physical, what got transferred from Yashima to Hanabi was pure energy.

And yes, it had to be Yashima. I didn't choose her because of Junichi, I choose her because it's her. I've already given away too much by saying that so no more on that bit.

Yashima's consciousness was transferred with the chakra, but only a small portion of it, like faint feelings and impressions. It wasn't a true transfer, but a forced transfer, so it differs slightly from Yume's. That and Hanabi's personality is far more developed and dominate than Musubi's, in addition Hanabi didn't start as a Sekirei either. What this boils down to is this: The consciousness was transferred but it was quickly smothered and replaced by Hanabi's subconscious.

And finally, I kind of wish I could have dragged out Hanabi's chakra loss, I really do, but it wasn't meant to be dragged out as drama. It was meant to be used as a tool for her to get a Sekirei Tama placed inside her, nothing more. Plus there wasn't much more I could add into the story to drag it out prior to canon since she needed her chakra back by the start of it. I suppose I could have made up some random side story but it wouldn't have had any meaningful contribution to the plot. It'd be filler and I dislike filler. I have an even harder time writing it.

**Chapter 3: The Shrine Maiden**

"What the hell is that?" Naruto questioned incredulously as he pointed at Kurama's new accessory. He didn't know what it was but seeing what it was just blew Naruto's mind. It was so ludicrous that he was on the verge of breaking out into laughter.

"Oh shut up you fool, you think I went to one of those bargain-bins your mate loves so much and just picked this up for a few yen?" Kurama growled in annoyance as he batted 'it' away, only for it to gently float back again.

"I don't know, maybe you're learning how to get in touch with your feminine side?" Naruto inquired and then quickly had to dodge a massive paw strike. The ground shook Kurama narrowly missed Naruto. He hadn't actually been trying to hit, but it was a warning. Naruto hadn't been here for months, there hadn't been any need, so he was pretty surprised to see that Kurama had decided to... accessorize.

"Be serious, this is your mindscape we're inside. Just because it's following ME around doesn't mean it's not also inside YOUR mind." Naruto quickly lost his smile as he thought about that. Unknown intrusions inside one's mind usually spelled death, or mental compromise, where he came from. "Besides..." Kurama drawled on as he smirked at Naruto, "You have one too." The giant fox nodded to a point behind Naruto.

"Wait what?" Naruto yelled as he twisted his head around to look behind and sure enough, right there shyly peaking over his shoulder was a smaller version of the one floating around Kurama. "Oh what the hell..." Naruto took some calm, deep breaths. He couldn't go into Hokage mode again tonight to figure this out, not that he'd use it on anything other than life or death situations, but he could still handle this.

I mean, it couldn't be THAT hard to explain why a couple of soft looking glowing balls of energy were hovering and floating around them like a fancy new accessory right? His was a soft baby blue color and Kurama's was more silver.

Naruto settled down and began to analyze... "Already did that kit, the spheres are connected. Mine seems connected to yours, and yours seems to be connected to something outside of your mind." Kurama explained, hoping to save Naruto some time. That part had been easy for the ancient demon to figure out. It was figuring out just who, or what, Naruto's new little mindscape friend was attached to, hence the urgency of calling Naruto here.

If an enemy had an inside route to the deepest parts of Naruto's mind and a direct connection to him. Then could be in some deep shit unless Naruto figured this out.

"When did you first get that new accessory of yours?" Naruto asked curiously as he walked from side to side trying to peer into Kurama's new friend. It seemed to be constantly shifting, like a liquid constantly in motion except it was solid. Even the color seemed to change slightly but it always kept its silver look.

Kurama tried to smack the orb with a tail only to have it weave around it. The nine-tailed fox growled in annoyance again. "I've had mine for a little over two months, ever since our little jaunt through existence. It was never this active though, and it was never connected to anything prior to today. I was content to take my time to figure out what it was until it suddenly connected with something outside."

"And hence you butting in on my time with Hanabi." Naruto said as he nodded his head thoughtfully.

"You can make babies later." Naruto blushed a little at the vulgarity. "This is more important."

As much as Naruto hated to admit it Kurama was right. This was serious. There was something floating in his mind that neither he nor Kurama had any control over. This really was something that required his full attention. Unfortunately…

"Nope, haven't got a clue." Naruto said after a few moments of deliberation. Kurama would have face faulted if his pride had let him, as it is a giant sweat drop still rolled down the back of his head. To be entirely honest Naruto was just way too tired to be thinking about difficult things like this. "I don't sense any malice coming from my orb. It seems adoring, loving and almost shy." Naruto said as he lightly poked the orb causing it to take on a pinkish tinge, "Definitely shy."

"Well since you're not going to solve this riddle I will." Kurama growled as he turned back to glare at the little orb floating around him. It really felt as if it was a living a creature, one that enjoyed taunting him. That irked Kurama more than anything; he did the taunting, not the other way around.

"You do that old friend, let me know if you discover anything." Naruto smiled as he waved goodbye to Kurama and faded from the mindscape.

**x~X~x**

**** Dream Sequence ****

_She hurried after the Hokage as they rushed to the medical ward of the underground shelter. The Hokage, Naruto, had been in meetings with his top officers Shikamaru Nara and Neji Hyuga when the word had arrived._

_Sakura had returned._

_One of the scouting parties had found her deep in the forest. She had been sent out to find herbs vital to treating the wounded soldiers after the chakra had done its part. Chakra could mend cuts, and repair muscle, but it couldn't replenish what was lost. The fact that it had been reported that she was found, and not that she found them, was never a good thing. Sakura and Shizune were the last of the medical shinobi they had on staff. The loss of Sakura would mean a crippling blow to their war efforts. It would basically cut their ability to heal wounded shinobi in half. People that would have normally been saved would be lost._

_There weren't many people in the tunnels as the four of them, Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji and Lotus made their way to the medical ward. In the beginning the underground headquarters had been bustling with people: Shinobi, doctors, blacksmiths and others, but not anymore. Some had left, afraid that the hidden shelter would be discovered sooner rather than later. Most had been killed, either on supply runs or out on missions given to them by the Hokage. The underground shelter now only held a third of its capacity, a testament to how harsh this war had been on them. It couldn't go on for much longer otherwise they'd lose their ability to effectively complete their ultimate goal._

_It only took a couple minutes; the shelter was very compact to avoid detection, to reach the room that held Sakura. Naruto stormed through the doors, not even bothering to knock, and she heard him suck in his breath as his eyes beheld Sakura. She heard Shikamaru mutter 'troublesome...' under his breath as he entered the room and Neji became even more silent than normal, his mouth pursed as if he had swallowed something bitter._

_It was easy to see why once she caught sight of Sakura laid sprawled out on the medical bed. The smell was bad, but the sight was even worse._

_She was alive._

_But that was where the good news ended. Her right arm appeared to be broken in three places while her left was missing entirely. Her knee caps had been shattered as well effectively ruining her career as a shinobi. Shizune was skilled, but she was no Tsunade, she'd make it so Sakura could walk again, but she'd never recover enough for shinobi duties. But more than that the smell that hit her when she had arrived had a source. It still dripped from between her legs._

_A woman's worst nightmare._

_Shizune had more important things to deal with than cleaning Sakura up, like saving her life. She had lost a lot of blood and it was taking everything Shizune had to make sure she didn't lose anymore as she closed up the worst of Sakura's wounds._

_"Damnit!" She heard her Hokage swear as he turned and slammed his fist into the wall. "I always told her to take an escort but she never listened. Damnit." More curse words filled the air as her master berated himself for not being more insistent that Sakura have an escort. He always seemed to take every death personally, as if every time someone died it was because he had made a mistake._

_"Don't beat yourself up over this." She watched, her eyes narrowed as Neji placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. She was always watching for any sign of harm towards her master, even from her allies. There was no telling if a spy had infiltrated and was impersonating one of them._

_She wouldn't let her guard down, not after what happened with Darui and Tenten. Her father's death started her down this path she now walked, it was because of her sister's death that she became as strong as she was, but it was because of 'that' incident that she had become what she was today. She refused to let her vigilance drop; she had gone so far as to even throw away her humanity to ensure that. Anyone could be an assassin; some wouldn't even know they were until after they had killed._

_"Until we know what happened to Sakura there's no way to figure out whether or not an escort would have even mattered." Shikamaru said as he analyzed Sakura's body dispassionately. A cool head was what they needed right now. "I'll go question those that found her, see if they found anything at the scene that may help indicate who or what did this to Sakura." Shikamaru turned and left the medical room and headed towards the debriefing room to question the scouting party._

_Her Hokage turned away from the wall and glanced at Shizune tiredly. It was times like this that the weight of command really seemed to weigh her master down. The Kyubi kept his body young and healthy, but his eyes looked really old as he addressed Shizune. "Please be honest Shizune, how bad is it?"_

_Shizune glanced up at Naruto quickly before turning her gaze back to her patient. She sighed, "I'll be honest, I can save her life... but I'm not sure how much more than that I can give you. The damage to her knees is beyond what I can heal. If Tsunade was still alive..." Shizune grimaced as she swallowed a lump in her throat. Lotus could tell Shizune dearly missed her master. "She'll be able to walk, but not without a pronounced limp. I'm sorry to say her days as a shinobi are over. With only one arm her ability to use medical techniques are limited, but still there. What bothers me the most however is the psychological damage done to her. If all we had to worry about was physical damage then I would be happy that she survived but... whatever was done to her, it broke her mind."_

_"Mmmm... Sasuke..." Sakura moaned suddenly, uttering her first words since arriving._

_Naruto blanched as did everyone else in the room. Sakura wasn't a slouch when it came to being a Shinobi. Considering who was left Naruto could count on one hand the number of enemies that could possibly over power Sakura._

_And only one had a powerful enough Genjutsu that they could break someone's mind. Sakura was a ninja through and through, she had had to live through worse things than rape in the past. She had personally DONE worse things than that in the early days after Konoha had been destroyed._

_Konoha's destruction had left a deep scar on all of the survivors._

_Lotus blushed and looked at her feet shyly suddenly all warm and tingly inside. It was an odd feeling._

_She blinked and looked up again, she wasn't in the medical ward anymore. She was standing beside her Hokage as he stared into the lounge, his left hand was gripping the doorframe tightly. Sakura was seated on one of the couches as she chatted happily away with 'Ino-pig' as she called her about how she was going to win Sasuke's heart. The lounge was one of two areas where shinobi could go to relax, it had a pool table, some card tables, several couches and two coffee makers and some mugs placed on a counter along the far wall. Space was at a premium so not a lot of room had been allocated for luxury. _

_Her eyes narrowed and she prepared herself to spring into action as one of the shinobi responsible for guarding, and keeping concealed, the only entry into the shelter approached Naruto. If an enemy was going to infiltrate the guards at the entrance were the weakest links._

_The man kneeled before Naruto as he prepared to give his report. She kept her eye on his hands and feet just in case he decided to spring a surprise attack, "We found her this morning wandering the woods a few miles away from the entrance. It seemed she slipped out at night and had spent most of the time looking for her 'Sasuke-kun'. When I discovered her outside without permission I knocked her out and brought her here. I'm sorry about the lack guard, despite her mental degradation her body still remembers how to move like a shinobi." The man seemed genuinely apologetic but emotions could be faked._

_Naruto's lips thinned as he squeezed them together. His grip on the door frame strength to the point where his fingers actually dug into the stone. Lotus knew he had already read the report, she was there at his side when it had arrived. Naruto had said he wanted to see Sakura for himself and hear the report from the man who wrote it before coming to a decision._

_And then Naruto entered 'that' mode. Lotus knew of it immediately, everyone did. Only minute changes were noticeable in her Hokage when it happened, but the presence he exuded changed completely. She couldn't help but straightened herself even more in that presence. The man kneeling on the ground stilled and held his breath, it was a difficult pressure to adjust to if one wasn't used to it. Even Ino noticed the change and looked up at Naruto, a look of hopelessness and sorrow evident in her eyes._

_"Lotus." She turned her head a touch to regard her master. "Do it."_

_"As you wish Hokage-sama." She responded emotionlessly. She bowed her head slightly as she saluted her Hokage with a fist over her heart. She didn't need instructions. She knew this day was coming from the moment they realized Sakura's mind had regressed to a time before she was a Genin, a time before she had entered the shinobi world._

_Lotus entered the lounge and padded silently towards Sakura. If Ino noticed she didn't give any indication. She wouldn't either, she was going to keep Sakura distracted until it was over, keep her company and be there for her until the very end._

_She stopped just behind Sakura on the other side of the couch. Her presence concealed completely concealed. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed her had they been staring directly at her. It was an art she had perfected for her Hokage with the help of her ANBU mentor. To be at his side at all times but to never be noticed. It was the art of misdirection, the art of making everything else around seem more important, more interesting, more pressing, than oneself._

_She placed her open palm on the back of the couch, straight across from Sakura's heart. For all the services that Sakura had rendered them over the years, the best thing she could do to repay her was to offer her a quick demise. Due to no intention of her own she had become a threat to their safety. They couldn't have her wandering off or getting in their way during critical moments, and they didn't have the resources to feed and take care of a useless individual. You pulled your weight, or you left and Sakura was no longer capable of living on her own or pulling her own weight._

_Everyone Hyuga had one unique aspect to their bloodline. Hinata had been able to seen obscenely far distances. Neji had completely erased his blind spot. Lotus however, she was able to project chakra far further, and far more concentrated, that any other Hyuga before her. She was at the point where she could extend it two feet outwards. It made her Kaiten especially devastating giving it range and strength beyond normal. Although she couldn't do it yet Lotus figured she'd soon be able to fire spikes of pure chakra at range._

_Lotus flared her chakra through the palm of her hand and the deed was done. The chakra spike ripped through the couch and Sakura's heart with equal ease. Sakura jerked in surprise as she stared at her chest for a moment before her lips turned up. She smiled, her first real smile since the incident two months prior, as she let lose one last shuddering breath and died._

_All Lotus could hear as she returned to her masters side was Ino's chest wracking sobs as she mourned the death of her oldest friend._

**** End of Dream Sequence ****

Hanabi started awake and blinked her eyes slowly. At first she didn't understand, why was there a ceiling fan above her? And whatever she was on was far softer than anything they had in the shelter. She brought her right hand up to her face and brushed her hair out of the way. She heard gentle breathing beside her and she immediately went on guard. She slowly turned her head and...

Oh, she remembered now. She wasn't in the shelter anymore. She wasn't Lotus anymore. She wasn't even in the Elemental Nations. She was in her bed in the condominium she and her love, Naruto, had bought in Shinto Teito. Said person had his arms wrapped tightly around her chest as he hugged her close. The event of the night past must have awakened an old memory of hers. The similarities making her mind replay that horrible past event. Of all the tasks she had done in the service of her Hokage, that had been one of the worst.

Hanabi shook those thoughts from her mind. She decided to focus on something else, like the soft breathing of the man she loved. She smiled softly as she closed her eyes. Judging by what she could feel Naruto was down to just his boxers and she was in nothing more than the black sheer nightgown she had bought from Victoria's Secret. Naruto must have taken the time to change her clothing. She blushed lightly at that thought.

Now that she thought about it she must have fallen asleep when Naruto had gone to speak with Kurama. He had taken her to their room and put her to bed before joining her. She relax and enjoyed the feeling. Here she could be Hanabi, here she could relax, here she didn't need to be on her guard twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Sure there were problems, but compared to the constant threat of danger they were used to back in the Elemental Nations, this was heavenly.

She placed her free hand over the arm draped on her chest and slowly drifted off to sleep. It was still early and she could use more sleep.

**x~X~x**

The next day found Naruto and Hanabi strolling down the streets of Shinto Teito. They had a purpose today unlike the past two months where they had spent most of the time familiarizing themselves with the city.

Over the course of the past two months they had staked out various locations and knew the best paths to take to get through the city fast. This included skyline routes that had them move from rooftop to rooftop that emphasized speed and ground level routes if they wanted to avoid prying eyes. They also took note of four zones they had dubbed 'safe zones' should their condo ever get attacked. There was one in each cardinal direction of the city with the northern area being determined as the safest since everything within a 15 kilometre radius around a certain 'Izumo Inn' appears to be completely crime free, and most important, had the least amount of surveillance coverage by MBI.

It was almost as if MBI was hesitant to pry too deeply into that part of the city.

It wasn't that Naruto and Hanabi were ungrateful for what the company had done for them, on the contrary they were very grateful. The MBI card just seemed way to convenient for two the experienced shinobi to accept without any suspicion. They were used to expecting betrayal at any time from any direction.

When the two of them had woken up they had washed, changed and had breakfast; which had consisted of bacon, eggs and some buttered toast on the side. Naruto was a good cook having spent the majority of his life living alone. He may have eaten ramen most of the time, but it simply wasn't a feasible meal to have every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner so he had learned to make himself a variety of different simple dishes. After breakfast the two had decided to head out into the city.

"We need to find jobs." Hanabi said as they slowly made their way down the streets. They couldn't rely on MBI forever and their resume was rather... limited to say the least. Having "Professional Shinobi" along with all the ways they knew how to kill someone would hardly open up very many doors.

At least not any doors that they particularly had any desire to walk through. The yakuza bosses and gang leaders would no doubt love their unique pallet of abilities but they had just left one war and didn't particularly feel like becoming part of another any time soon as the various yakuza fought over territory. That left the low level jobs that anyone with a pretty face or some muscles could accomplish such as construction work or being a waitress.

"It can't be that hard to find one." Naruto said as he looked around for signs that would indicate that particular store was hiring staff. He figured there were always the little jobs waiting to be done by anyone with the desire to do so. Much like how D-Rank missions back home had been an annoyance, but necessary, there had to be similar type jobs here that no one wanted to do, but that needed to be done anyways.

"Ah! Naruto-san!" A familiar voice called out. Naruto couldn't quite place a name to the voice until he turned around and saw a familiar black haired teen jogging towards him. "It's good to see you again." Minato said as he stopped just in front of Naruto.

"Minato!" Naruto cried out and joy and patted the teen on the shoulders with both hands. Despite limiting his strength he still nearly drove the poor boy to his knees. "I really need to thank you again for your quick action that day." Naruto smiled and turned a little, opening his left hand towards Hanabi. "She made a complete recovery thanks to your aid."

No need to tell him it hadn't been complete until last night, but Minato didn't need to know that. He had been instrumental in saving Hanabi's life and that's all that mattered.

Hanabi nodded her head and smiled, "I should thank you as well. Naruto told me about how you helped him. From the sounds of it I owe my being alive to you. Thank you." Hanabi said politely. She didn't know Minato any better than anyone else on the street but courtesy never really cost her anything.

Well nothing except cinnamon buns, but there weren't any here and she wasn't going to make that mistake again.

"Err... you're welcome. I only did what anyone else would have done in that situation." Minato replied with a slight blush. It wasn't every day that a beautiful woman spoke to him so politely. His sister and mother were both... very unique. He didn't have very many friends, and certainly no female ones.

"So how have you been lately?" Naruto asked, honestly curious as to how the young man had been doing. They had parted ways under rather hectic situations and Naruto, to be entirely honest, had completely forgotten about the teen. He decided to keep that fact to himself so as to not hurt Minato's feelings.

"Ah..." Minato hesitated, he wasn't sure he wanted to answer that honestly. It was kind of embarrassing to say that he had failed the entrance exam to his chosen university twice in a row. "I'm getting by. I'm trying to get into a local university but I'm having more difficulty than I had initially thought I would." There, he didn't have to lie. He told the truth, and was able to leave out just how much trouble he was having.

"Ouch, I wouldn't know. I hate school. I don't think I'll ever try for a university. Something simple is all I want." Naruto faked a wince of pain, he hated academics. He felt the important lessons in life had to be learned first-hand and not from some stuffy book.

Minato chuckled as he shook his head helplessly. Yukari and Takami would be on his case if he just gave up, "I like your optimistic view on life. I wouldn't hear the end of it from my family if I just gave up though."

"Family huh..." Naruto said sadly and Minato wondered for a moment if he had said something he shouldn't have.

"Kyaaa! Please get out of the way!"

Naruto reacted instantly and moved faster than anyone could see. He quickly shoved Minato away sending the poor teen flying away. Naruto didn't wait to see what happened to Minato but the sound of breaking glass probably wasn't a good sign as he whirled towards the sound of the voice. He only had enough time to widen his eyes in surprise before a young woman slammed into him knocking him to the ground.

Hanabi was there in an instant with an open palm placed directly at the base of the girls skull ready to kill her if she showed even the slightest hint of hostility. "Make one wrong move and you die." Hanabi growled out as her protective instincts kicked in.

Naruto just blinked as he looked up from his position on the ground. In front of his eyes were a pair of white panties covering a perfectly toned ass. That certainly wasn't what he had expected to see, not that he was complaining or anything. The inner pervert inside of him taking a bunch of mental pictures for later use. "Well this is certainly a nice view." Naruto muttered.

Hanabi jerked her head towards her love and began to blush as she saw Naruto staring at another woman's ass. Hanabi shoved the girl off Naruto and hit him on the head. "Hey now! You have me you know!"

"I know, I know! Just building up the appetite." Naruto knew instantly that was the wrong thing to say as Hanabi's eyes narrowed dangerously. He hurriedly clambered to his feet and looked around frantically, he needed a subject changer and quick.

A groan drew both of their attention to the girl who was now sitting on the ground with her legs splayed out to either side. She was holding her head and shaking it lightly. The girl had short brown hair and brown eyes. Her breasts were enormous, larger than anything he'd ever seen before, surpassing even Tsunade and she had a well developed figure that made most Kunoichi jealous. She was also wearing what appeared to be, from what Naruto and Hanabi knew of this world, a shrine maiden outfit, although unlike most outfits this one stopped well short of her knees and no self-respecting maiden would be caught dead wearing it. She also wore thigh high white socks, brown military boots that went up to mid-calf and a pair of open-fisted red combat gloves on each hand.

"As I expected, that building was way too high to jump from." The girl mumbled to herself as she turned to stare at Naruto. Hanabi deflated instantly, her combat mode draining from her. There was no way she could strike someone that looked like that. The girl had such an innocence in her that it was impossible for her to be an assassin or an attacker. Hanabi doubted the girl had ever had a mean thought in her life.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked curiously. That seemed like a pretty bad landing, and he was the expert on that. He had had some rather nasty crashes early on in his shinobi career.

The girl beamed a smile at Naruto as she stood up, "Oh you must be the person that caught me! Thank you!" She said happily as she clasped her hands together. She seemed to be alright despite the fall for which Naruto was thankful of. It seemed that she was made of tougher stuff than the average person. Which meant he had to be careful regardless of her cheerful attitude although the fact that she seemed to display all her emotions on her face like an open book did much to dispel any hostility. He knew she wasn't putting on a mask, there probably wasn't anyone alive more experienced than him at changing faces.

At the very least he could be courteous. He never was one to abandon someone in need. And the inner pervert in him was singing praises to Jiraiya.

Naruto chuckled as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "I don't think it was so much that I caught you, in so much as that you landed on me." The woman in front of him was certainly beautiful. Hanabi was still far better looking in his eyes but he had to admit he may be slightly biased in that regard. If he wasn't already spoken for he may have even been tempted to ask her out for dinner. "Anyways, are you alright, that was a long fall."

"Ah, yes, yes I am, thank you..." The scent of ozone suddenly filled Naruto's nose and all the alarm bells in his head started to go off. Hanabi must have sensed the same thing as he could feel her tensing as well, unsure as to what was causing the change in weather.

"Watch out!" The brown haired girl shouted as she tried to shove Naruto out of the way. Naruto however just slid through her guard, grabbed her around the waist and jumped back just before a bolt of lightning blasted into the ground where the two of them had been.

Now Naruto was on guard for an enemy attack. That strike had been too accurate for it to be regular lightning, especially since there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and secondly he had felt a small flare of chakra before the blast had struck out at him. It meant that there was someone else that had attacked him, and that someone was capable of manipulating chakra enough to fire off lightning blasts.

He looked over at the young woman that he had rescued from the lightning blast, she seemed to have known it was coming almost before he did, and noticed that her eyes were looking skyward towards the top of one of the nearby buildings. He followed her gaze, and Hanabi followed his, until they came to rest upon another set of, at least what Naruto considered, gorgeous women. Women in costumes that would have made Anko proud.

"Bondage ladies, I just had lightning shot at me by women with a bondage fetish." Naruto muttered sourly as flashbacks to the few times he had interacted with Anko flashed across his mind, "They have to be related to Anko somehow, I just know it." He seriously hoped that wasn't the case though. He still tried to scrub out the memories of 'Happy Time at Anko's Place'. She had been well intention but Hinata had been out for a week after that and Naruto couldn't look at rope the same way anymore. He also knew way too many different ways of typing people up.

"We have bigger things to worry about then whom they may be related to." Hanabi said as she glared at the two on the rooftop in anger. No one attacked her Naruto, no one. The only reason she wasn't already charging up the side of the building to tear them apart was because Naruto didn't look too concerned and because such weak attacks wouldn't really hurt him.

The woman with the larger breasts of the two placed her foot upon the railing of the rooftop and smirked down at them. "It's useless to run you know, you might as well just stand there and get beat by us!" She said as lightning began to crackle around her.

Well, at least I know where the lightning came from. Naruto thought to himself as he eyed the two on top of the building warily. A dozen different strategies flashed through his mind, different ways in which he could deal with the two.

Unfortunately being in a street full of people that were staring at them like they were part of a circus show really limited his choices. No Rasenshuriken this time since he wanted to keep the body count manageable. He'd also rather keep as much of his abilities a secret as he could. He didn't mind using them, just not out in the public like this. It also brought back another shinobi instinct to keep things hidden until the right time. The more others knew about you, the harder they were to kill when you met them on the battlefield. And he was certain that MBI was watching, there's no way this kind of activity would escape their notice.

There was probably a party room somewhere with TV's set up deep within the MBI headquarters where staff members just sat around watching various interesting events in Shinto Teito.

**x~X~x**

"Hey! Haihane pass the popcorn! This is starting to get good!" A hand was waved imperiously

"Hehehe, bondage twins, I like bondage." A bag of popcorn was tossed across the room.

"Damnit you poked holes in it again! Natsuo tell her to stop that!" A finger was pointed accusingly.

"Well, doesn't he look like an interesting man. I like interesting men" His hands were interlocked together and placed under his nose as he bent forward and stared at the screen intently.

"It's him again, I can still smell the blood swirling around him." She licked her lips and shuddered in pleasure.

"I thought you got enough blood when you bathed with that corpse a few months back! How can you possibly betray Natsuo?" An indignant shout blasted across the room.

"He doesn't smell like blood?" A tongue was dragged across a newly polished blade.

"Urk!"

"I'll let you play with him after I'm done." He still hadn't stopped staring at the blonde haired sex god.

The sound of someone noisily licking their lips echoed across the room.

"Hehehe, I wonder if we can have a threesome bondage. I know some good rope tricks. GAH!" Blood spurted out as a clawed hand poked into her own temple.

"Natsuo! I swear the two of them are insane!" A helpless cry rang out.

**x~X~x**

"Just fight us already!" The second one said, her breasts were much smaller than the first one but that didn't detract from her beauty in the slightest. "It'll be less painful for you if you stopped running so much."

"I'm not ready to fight yet!" The woman shouted back as she clenched her fists at her side. Well that changed things, they weren't shooting at him, just the woman that had landed on him panties first. Now Naruto wasn't going to have any of that. He didn't know exactly what was going on, like why the lightning bondage duo were attacking the beautiful shrine maiden, or why the shrine maiden had said 'yet' meaning she was willing to just not right now. But he did know that he wasn't going to let someone who had given him such a nice show get hurt.

Naruto signaled for Hanabi to move in and disable the bondage duo using a series of hand signals that he had created for his personal ANBU. He had created a new set after Konoha had burned and had updated and adjusted them on a yearly basis since then to prevent them from being decoded. "Hey now, I'm not going to just stand here and let you hurt a beautiful girl like her." Naruto shouted as he walked in front of the busty brunette and got into a fighting stance. He didn't really use stances, he was more of a brawler when he did fight with Taijutsu, but it looked impressive.

"Hey!" The larger breasted of the two shouted in outrage as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at Naruto, "Get out of the way! We're not here for you, only little miss shrine maiden over there." There were explicit instructions not involve anyone not part of the Sekirei Plan in the fight between Sekirei, not that Naruto or Hanabi knew that though. This did however prevent the bondage duo from going all out in such a situation.

The shrine maiden stared at Naruto with an open mouth as she protested being protected. Naruto just held a hand up and shushed her, "No can do, I never go back on my word, and I'm going to protect her!" The woman in question was so incredibly moved by Naruto's dedication, she felt her chest tighten and her heart beat quicken.

"You asked for it!" The woman in the purple bondage shoot shouted, damn the standing orders, she was going to make the blonde idiot pay. "Hikari, zap that loud mouthed fool!" Nothing happened for a moment and then there was a small thump that sounded very much like a body hitting the ground. "Hikari?" The large chested woman of the bondage duo asked as she turned to look at her sister. Hikari was lying in a heap on the ground, unconscious but unharmed. She opened her mouth to shout out to her sister when she felt pressure being applied to the base of her neck and then she blacked out.

The shrine maiden stared up at the top of the building where Hanabi had just knocked out the lightning twins. Her mouth had dropped open and stars were twinkling in her eyes. Naruto would have bet that any moment she was going to start hopping up and down like a little girl.

"That was so cool!" The shrine maiden gushed as she pointed up at Hanabi who was picking up the two bodies. There were some questions both she and Naruto wanted answered, and those two had them, or at least they better have them if they knew what was good for them. "How did she get up there so fast? She knocked both those meanies out so quickly too!"

Hanabi leapt from the building to the ground below and made her way over to Naruto's side. It was only five stories high so it wasn't that bad. It did leave several people staring at her with their mouths agape. "What do you want done with them?" Hanabi asked as she stopped at Naruto and the shrine maiden. She had Hikari thrown over her left shoulder and the other one tucked under her right arm. They were going to stay asleep for awhile. Hanabi had placed some chakra into the main arteries that fed blood to their brain. Not enough to kill them, but enough to slow it to a point where the body shut itself down to prevent brain damage from occurring due to oxygen deprivation.

Naruto sighed as he stared at the two in question, he needed answers. There were some very strange things going on in this town and he was not going to be unprepared for it. The lack of information could kill, did kill. "We'll take them back to our condo and tie them up. There are questions that need answers, and I'm hoping those two will have them." Naruto said as he glanced back and forth between the two bondage girls. Hanabi just simply nodded in agreement. She had figured as much when she was up there knocking them out.

With the situation now finally diffused Naruto turned to the girl that had fallen on him earlier. "Sorry about all that." Naruto said apologetically. He didn't have anything to apologize for but he learned long ago that it was better to apologize first and ask questions later when dealing with the fairer sex. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto held his hand out to the girl, "And she's Hanabi Hyuga-Uzumaki." Naruto finished as he held his hand out towards Hanabi indicating that it was her that he was referring to.

"Oh! Please to meet you!" The shrine maiden said as she shook Naruto's hand. "They call me Musubi. It's nice to meet you as well Hanabi, thank you for taking care of those scary ladies for me." Musubi said happily as she beamed a smile at the two.

Hanabi just shook her head a little and smiled back. It was impossible to dislike someone who was so happy and carefree. She opened her mouth to respond when Musubi started to tip over. Naruto acted quickly and caught her before she could hit the ground and held her gently in his arms. He looked over at Hanabi and raised an eye questioningly.

She just shrugged in response, she was just as clueless as he was. "We should take her back with us." Hanabi suggested as she looked down at the girl, noticing for the first time just how exhausted she appeared to be. "She's probably been chased all over the city by these two. I wouldn't feel right if we just left her here."

Naruto nodded and picked her up bridle style. "Alright, let's head back to the condo. I guess our job hunting is done for the day."

Minato climbed out of the department store he had gone crashing into with a groan. Thankfully he had landed in a pile of soft clothing and none of the glass had gotten on him. He watched as Naruto and Hanabi walked away from the area and was about to chase after him to give him a piece of his mind when he notice the massive gash in the sidewalk where the lightning had struck. It was, coincidentally, where he had been as well before Naruto had shoved him out of the way. He quickly forgave Naruto for tossing him through a building right then it there. It had to be better than getting electrocuted.

As he turned to walk away he noticed a strange man garbed almost entirely in black with a black face mask watching Naruto and Hanabi walk away with an intense look on his face. Minato blinked and rubbed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again, the dark clothed man was gone.

"Ahem?" A cough sounded behind him accompanied by the tapping of a rather impatient foot.

Minato turned around and came face to face with a rather irate store manager.

"Are you going to pay for this?" The store manager asked as she waved her hand at the broken window and ruined displays. "Or for that?" She pointed at his shoulder.

Minato looked down and blushed heavily. There were some bras hanging loosely across his shoulders.

"W-Well I..." Minato stuttered, he really didn't know what to say or do in this situation.

"You're coming with me!" The woman demanded as she grabbed Minato by his collar and began to drag him back into the department store.

Minato gulped and resigned himself to his fate. His sister and mother would never let him hear the end of this. Maybe he shouldn't have been too quick to forgive Naruto.

**x~X~x**

It was a good thing Naruto and Hanabi had done some scouting earlier in the month because carrying three unconscious females through the main streets of Shinto Teito was a very good way to get arrested very quickly. They ducked and weaved through the various back alleys, minor streets in the shadier sections of the city. Sometimes they even went through a few backyards and over the roofs of single story buildings. It took far more time than any other route would have taken them but eventually they made it back to their condo. By then, however, it was rapidly approaching dinner time if the sunset sinking in the west was any indication.

It wasn't until after they had entered their home that Naruto realized something critical, "Do we even have any rope?" Naruto asked as he went through a mental checklist of all the supplies he had on him. He deliberately tried to avoid having anything to do with rope after having seen what Anko could do with a length of rope.

Hanabi thought about it for a moment before sighing softly. She was in the same position. All the rope she had kept on hand to practice various methods of tying people up had been left behind in the Elemental Nations. There just hadn't really been any time to take her hobby with her. To be honest she wasn't even sure where her interest or desire arose from. She could have sworn that she hadn't cared about rope in the slightest prior to her sister's death.

Hanabi shook her head negatively as she dumped the two unconscious lightning girls on the floor. "No, but I do have some ninja wire. It'll work however it won't be as comfortable as rope but that's their problem." Hanabi replied as she sauntered into the bedroom to grab some wire. She had some in case of emergencies but she never used it in combat so she didn't keep it in seals on her person.

Naruto grinned as he stared at Hanabi's perfectly toned ass as she made her way into the bedroom. He never got tired of looking at her. An amazing body is one of the perks of being a Kunoichi. "Great! Just hang them from the ceiling when you find the wire. Also don't forget to put chakra restriction seals on them as well, I don't want them blowing anything up when they awaken." Naruto called after his fiancée as she disappeared into the bedroom. An acknowledging sound drifted from the bedroom.

Naruto laid Musubi gently down upon the couch and brushed some of her hair out of her face. Musubi, and the two that attacked her, were mysteries to him. In a city filled with civilians without an ounce of chakra it was strange to find exceptions such as these. Oh there were a few that had some but most barely had enough to survive.

These three however were practically pulsating with untapped chakra potential. It was as if they had barely scratched the surface of what they could use. They reminded him of the girl that had attacked Hanabi last night, only far less violent. Even the lightning duo hadn't been out for blood, not really. They didn't seem like bad people intent on causing lasting harm The entire situation earlier was much like challenging someone to a duel, or a spar, as opposed to a death match. Naruto had become a good judge of character over the years even if he did make mistakes from time to time.

Naruto headed to the kitchen and started to cook dinner. It was a little early but neither he nor Hanabi had been able to get lunch, it was a little difficult while carrying three unconscious females. Most establishments would probably call whatever security force protected the city and sic em on them. As Naruto went through the fridge and pantries to figure out what to cook up he decided on curry. It was relatively simple, easy, and they had plenty of ingredients for it. It was a new recipe he had picked up and learned when they had arrived in the city a few months back.

Hanabi walked back into the room with two spools of ninja wire, one in each hand, and looked over at the different ingredients Naruto was pulling from the fridge. "Curry tonight?"

"Yup, Musubi is probably going to be hungry as well so I plan to make extra. I felt her stomach rumbling the whole way here. And if there's not enough I can just have some ramen." Naruto said happily, not entirely upset about that prospect in the least. Running out of enough for seconds was always a good way to convince Hanabi to let him have ramen.

Hanabi sighed as she walked over to Hikari and picked her up. "Just don't deliberately make too little, alright?" Hanabi replied in exasperation. She knew Naruto's tricks, but she just let them pass. It wasn't worth arguing over so long as he got at least some nutritious food in him. "Any particular position you want them in?" Hanabi asked as she started to wrap the wire around Hikari. There were some basics regardless of the final position, such as tying the arms and legs up.

"Face down horizontal suspension with a hogtie binding should be enough. Raise them high enough so that when they're suspended they are face to face with us." Naruto said without looking up from what he was doing. Curry was a new recipe for him and he still made mistakes. It had seemed really basic at first but for some reason unless he concentrated it turned out horrible. He had burned even his taste buds at one time, too much curry.

"That always was Ino's favorite position." Hanabi mentioned idly as she began to tie Hikari up more thoroughly. Ino's short stint in the T&I division after the war and before Konoha had been destroyed had caused that woman to develop some very odd fetishes. Hanabi blamed it on her spending too much time with Anko. Hanabi sighed as she thought about the blonde haired woman, she missed Ino. Ino had been one of the people there protecting their escape from the shelter when Madara finally came knocking. Her family's jutsu had momentarily halted Madara's movement before he managed to shatter her mind. Her body had been quick to follow.

One of the advantages to having chakra is that she didn't need a large support beam to hang the women. She could just use chakra to attach it. When Hikari had been hogtied Hanabi jumped up to the ceiling and began to pull Hikari up with her. When the woman was at the right height Hanabi coiled the rest of the ninja wire and stuck it to the ceiling. There was enough chakra holding it in place that it should stay there at least an entire day. It was asking for a bit much for it to last longer than that. To finish things off Hanabi slapped a chakra seal on both of Hikari's arms and one on her torso between her breasts.

The other girl soon joined her sister, hanging from the ceiling at the same elevation and in the same position. It was a sight that would have looked very odd if anyone had walked in on them. Hanabi admired her handiwork for a moment before turning her eyes to the girl on the couch. She wasn't quite sure what to make of their final guest. She wasn't like the two dangling captive who had defined roles as prisoners. She was a bystander Naruto had opted to protect, bless his heart, and had simply taken with them when she had fainted into Naruto's arms. Hanabi sighed and just sat on the couch beside the woman, lifting Musubi's head up and placing it in her lap as she did so. For some odd reason Hanabi felt a sort of kinship with the brunette.

It was about thirty minutes later, when Naruto was finishing up the curry, that Musubi woke up sleepily. She lifted her head from Hanabi's lap and rubbed her eyes lightly. There was drool dripping from her mouth as she sniffed the air. "Hungry..." Musubi mumbled as a loud gurgling reverberated through the condo. Musubi's stomach just introduced itself. Naruto and Hanabi both just stared at each other as large sweat drops slide down the back of their heads.

Naruto just chuckled and filled up a plate with some curry and brought it over to the couch. "Here you go, I just finished making dinner." Naruto said kindly as he handed the plate to Musubi. Musubi's eyes widened and began to sparkle as she grabbed the plate and began to dig into the food.

"It's sow gwood." Musubi mumbled with her mouth full.

"Don't speak with your mouth full." Hanabi said as she bopped Musubi on the head with the side of her hand. Naruto just laughed as he walked back to the pot of curry to get Hanabi and himself their food.

"Sowwy." Musubi mumbled, still shovelling food in, earning herself another bop on the head.

"Don't eat too quickly." Naruto called as he came back over with two more plates of curry. "I don't want to have to clean curry off the floor." Musubi stopped for a moment and gave him a clueless look. Naruto sighed and placed Hanabi's dinner before her. "Nevermind." He muttered as knelt on the floor on the other side of the small living room table to eat. Musubi seemed like a good girl, but there appeared to be a few key things missing.

Like common sense for instance.

"Can I have more?" Musubi asked as she eyed Naruto's plate hungrily. She had already polished off her meal and licked her plate clean.

"What in the world?" Hanabi exclaimed as she pointed at Musubi. "She ate that curry faster than you eat ramen! How is that possible?" Hanabi demanded, she wanted an explanation. Naruto was a like a black hole when it came to Ramen. It just got sucked in faster than you could blink. This woman had just beaten Naruto's ramen eating record. It was an impossibility! Back in Konoha Old Man Teuchi had a convey belt set up to feed Naruto, along with a stockpile of already made ramen. It was the only way to keep up with Naruto's stomach.

Naruto sighed and began to push his plate towards Musubi when Hanabi stopped him. "No, don't, you made this meal, you eat." Hanabi told Naruto as she put her own plate before Musubi, "I'll go bring the pot over. It's probably easier that way. I get the feeling there won't be much in the way of leftovers tonight."

Hanabi was right, fifteen minutes later the entire pot of curry was gone along with all the rice on the side. Hanabi only shook her head at the sight. Musubi was as bad as Naruto when it came to food. She had an endless abyss for a stomach. "Two of you, there are now two of you..." Hanabi muttered under her breath as she stared at the floor in despair. Now she'd never be able to go anywhere. How do you take two human vacuum cleaners out for a nice meal?

"Thank you so much Naruto-sama!" Musubi gushed as she stared at Naruto with sparkling eyes. Naruto began to wonder if she kept a set of stars just behind the eyelids that she brought out whenever she was excited. It was a bit unnerving that they managed to appear as often as they did. "Not only did you save me earlier but now this..." She clasped her hands together and looked as if she was about to leap at Naruto at any moment. Hanabi placed a hand on her leg to hold her down, just in case. Musubi didn't even seem to notice. "I was so hungry I just collapsed right there and you took care of me!" Naruto and Hanabi sweat dropped again. She had collapsed from hunger? How long had she gone without food? She didn't look like she was malnourished. "I wish someone like you could be my 'Ashikabi-sama'" Musubi said thoughtfully as she put a finger on her lips.

"Ashikabi?" Naruto asked curiously, what the hell was that? Naruto began to rifle through his memories for any reference to Ashikabi. Hanabi however had heard that word before, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she stared at Musubi. That was how Yashima had addressed that scum on the rooftop the last night. It had looked very much like a master/slave relationship. If Musubi was looking for a master...

A knock on the door broke everyone out of their thoughts. Naruto gave Hanabi a look and the young Hyuga nodded. She quickly got up and faded from view as she entered the kitchen. Well it wasn't so much that she faded from view as everything else became more important. No one would know she was there unless she let them.

"Stay here Musubi, I'll be right back." Naruto said with a soft smile as he stood up and headed to the door. Behind him the two women began to stir.

"Okay!" Musubi said cheerfully as she pumped a fist into the air.

As Naruto approached the door he extended his senses to try and get a feel for what was on the other side. They were in a condo, so door-to-door marketers weren't an explanation. The police would have announced themselves and criminals would have just bashed the door down. And no self-respecting assassin would walk in through the front door, especially not after announcing themselves with a knock. Unfortunately it didn't leave a whole lot of possibilities. Actually it left down right none that Naruto knew of and that's what made him more nervous than usual. If it was something he had experience with, he could deal with it.

After extending his senses Naruto picked up a few things, first off it was an older individual on the other side and they had more chakra than the average civilian. Not enough to be alarming, and certainly nothing compared to the woman he had fought last night, but interesting never-the-less. There was also an odd vibe coming from whoever it was. Naruto couldn't quite pin it down but whoever it was, was different beyond simply having more chakra that most people in this new world. If Naruto had to rate it, it was on par with Sakura immediately after Genin graduation.

Inconsequential in the shinobi world, but impressive for a regular person.

Ultimately Naruto decided to just open the door and see who it was. He might as well act as if he was just a regular person and not some super powered shinobi. Besides he couldn't sense anyone aside from that one person in the hallway which meant whoever was at the door was alone. Naruto didn't like to brag but there wasn't anyone that could hide from him. Everyone who had survived Konoha became a sensor to one degree or another. They had to, an ambush meant death. And Naruto was one of the best sensors, as odd as that seemed. He was the only one who could reliably pinpoint Hanabi when she was trying to be stealthy.

Naruto opened the door nonchalantly as he placed a big grin on his face ready to greet whoever it was like a happy go-lucky fool. "Ah! Good evening, how may I help you?" Naruto asked as he eyed the person on the other side of the door. It was a man that was maybe in his mid-twenties. He was as tall as Naruto and was lean-built with brown hair that seemed like it didn't want to be tamed no matter how much it was combed. He wore a white undershirt with a pair of green jeans and black boots He had a leather jacket thrown over his left shoulder and held it there in a light grip.

The man didn't look like he had any visible weapons and his physic wasn't so intimidating that he appeared to be a threat. Naruto was just glad that the two bondage ladies weren't within visible sight of the door otherwise that would have been difficult to explain.

"Ah yes! I'm Seo, Seo Kaoru and I was hoping you could help me with something." The man said with a grin, "You see I seemed to have misplaced two of my companions and I was wondering if you happened to know where they were. They're twins you see, and they enjoy wearing identical suits when on business. One wears purple and the other red..." Seo stopped suddenly as he felt the cold edge of a blade pressed against his throat from behind.

Naruto was no longer smiling.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I wanted to go on, but this just seemed like far too good of a place to stop. I was hoping to finish everything with Seo and Musubi in this chapter but I'm almost at 11k words.

Also, one last note, this IS a mature story, so you better be a mature person. There will be violence, which you've already seen, there will be nudity and there will be explicit scenes. It's not going to be unnecessarily vulgar (I hope) but I'm not going to pull punches either. Naruto is a bloody world, even if it's glossed over greatly in the manga, and Sekirei is a god damn freakin Harem manga with enough tits to give Queen's Blade a run for its money. It would be doing a disservice to both if I were to skimp on it for the sake of the easily offended minority. If you're the type of person that gets easily offended by this stuff it's probably best to stop here.

Anyways please review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 4: Explanations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**There isn't any action in this chapter. This is to set up the ground work for future plot elements. There is actually a LOT going on in this chapter. I made some of it very subtle though. Things that won't make sense until later chapters and then you go back and go "OH DAMN!" That kind of stuff.**

**For those of you that are underage, I suggest you skip the last part of this chapter. It's about as sexually explicit as sex scenes in movies that are censored (you see the act, but not the areas) but the warning is here. You won't be missing much just so long as you read the last paragraph. **

**Review Responses:**

Oh hey look! I have my own personal flamer following my story and reading my chapters! Wow, that jealously and envy of his must be pretty intense if he's jumping on the slightest tiny little problem and blowing it so out of proportions it's retarded ^_^.

Just two thing to the anonymous idiot that keeps flaming my story:

What separates one shinobi from another isn't method, but intention. All shinobi kill or do other horrible things, trying to sugar coat it is pointless. It's the reason why they do what they do that separates the good from the bad. What Tobi was trying to do, enslave humanity, and what Naruto was trying to do, heal Hanabi, are two completely different things on two completely different scales. If you can't understand this, then maybe you should stop reading.

And finally, this also goes for anyone else that just mindlessly bashes, if my story bugs you that much then why are you still reading it and boosting my review count? Thanks by the way, I could always use more reviews, so please feel free to flame this chapter as well. You're just one more number on my review count.

Now if you have legitimate concerns/criticism and you make constructive reviews I'll take what you say seriously and either A) Take the time to explain things to you as to why they're like that or B) Admit my mistake and do better next time.

Well, provided that explaining it doesn't give away plot development.

Anyways, Karasuba IS blood thirsty, look back when she went to rescue Musubi with Yume. She was grinning viciously at the mountain of corpses she had piled up. I may have exaggerated slightly with the whole 'bathing in the blood of my enemies' thing, but not by very much :). It was meant to be pure humor and not taken 100% seriously.

An individual mentioned Naruto not noticing the chakra and stuff. Explanation is that he's just been too busy settling in. He's noticed the lack of chakra in people in general and that there are only a select few individuals that have a significant amount, but he won't do anything about it unless they become a threat.

A note on Hokage Mode. I probably didn't give it a good explanation and the like. Think of it like this. It's basically Naruto when he doesn't let emotions affect his thinking and focus' on a singular task instead of acting like he has ADHD. When Naruto truly focus' on a task, like the Rasengan for instance, he pulls out amazing progress and results. It was something he was forced to develop due to his position as Hokage. As much as he wanted to 'feel' for his people, the war often made him make choices that he would emotionally and ideologically object to and 'Hokage Mode' was his way to deal with that. The emotional side of Naruto would never allow him to do to Yashima what he did, and he's going to feel guilt over that for quite some time, but the logical side of him saw the best, and possibly only, chance to heal Hanabi for good.

**Chapter 4: Explanations**

"Who are you working for? How did you find me? And give me one good reason why I shouldn't have your throat cut and your body dumped in the river?" Naruto demanded as he glared at Seo. This was bad. They had taken every precaution to get here without being detected, and yet this man had found them not even an hour after they had arrived. Considering the distance the condo was from the place where the lightning duo had fought Musubi he must have already been after them before they had arrived.

That brought up some disturbing possibilities and thoughts that Naruto didn't want to entertain.

Seo swallowed hard as he held his hands up in surrender. Being very careful not to agitate whoever it was behind him. He hadn't even sensed them approach and he had prided himself on being perceptive. Whoever it was, they were good. Too good.

"I don't mean any harm." Seo said hastily, "Honest, I don't work for anyone. I'm just a freelancer."

"Don't give me that shit." Naruto interrupted, cutting his hand across in front of him to emphasis his point. "A freelancer is someone for hire, someone hired you to attack Musubi, now answer me completely or you. Will. Die." Naruto became very protective when his precious people were threatened.

Seo swallowed hard a second time, this wasn't exactly how he had planned this meeting to go. He had just wanted to walk in, joke around, do his job, collect his girls and get out. "I wasn't hired to attack Musubi specifically." Seo said, he had the feeling that this wasn't really the time to play around. "I was simply hired to have my girls take out a specific group of individuals, when, where, or how didn't really matter. Death was actually to be avoided. We're sort of in the middle of a competition and my employer wanted me to remove some of their competitors." Seo said finally. It was forbidden to speak of the Sekirei Plan to anyone outside of the plan itself so it was difficult finding the proper words to explain the situation without giving away too much.

"And Musubi is one of those competitors?" Naruto demanded, it made sense in a way. Musubi had said 'yet' when the two women had wanted to fight her, and considering she had fainted from hunger it was conceivable she simply wanted to wait until after she had eaten before she had fought. Musubi was that kind of girl. However Naruto knew that Seo was bending the truth a lot. There was much he wasn't saying.

Seo would have nodded if he wasn't scared his throat might get slit by the movement. Instead of simply formed an O with his right hand signalling that Naruto was correct.

"How did you find this place?"

Seo built upon his earlier story, "I'm a competitor in the competition as well, everyone has a tracking device located on them so that they can be found by the administrators of the competition if they are defeated. It's so the downed competitors can be retrieved and sent back to a medical facility to recover for the rest of the game. I may have access to more... privileged information than the average competitor does and I used it to track my two girls here." It was all technically true, he wasn't sure if bending the truth this much was a great idea but he didn't feel like being hunted down by the Disciplinary Squad for breaking the rules.

The competitors could be tracked? Naruto frowned at this thought. This meant that all three girls behind him were traceable by some unknown organization. While he didn't care too much about the lightning twins, he did care about Musubi. "And how do I remove this tracking device?"

"I don't know really, I just know they exist, which is more than most competitors realize."

That wasn't the answer Naruto wanted to hear, but the man wasn't lying, Naruto could tell that much. "And final question... why shouldn't I have your throat slit and your body dumped into the river?" Naruto questioned, he really was tempted to do just that. Seo was a threat to him now. And if he was able to track the bondage duo with the tracking device, it was feasible he could track anyone involved in the competition.

"Uh, because you'll stain the carpet out here red and you'd have difficulty explaining that to the owner of the building?" Seo offered, hoping a little light-hearted humor would defuse the situation. Blood was terribly difficult to get out of a white carpet and the smell never really did go away.

Naruto smirked and let out a short laugh. He stepped back as he beckon for his companion to let Seo go. "Come in, I have more questions that need answers." Naruto said finally and the blade disappeared from Seo's throat. Seo rubbed the spot where the blade had been and sighed in relief. That wasn't an experience he wanted to go through again. Naruto turned and head back into the living room of the condo, expecting Seo to follow.

The man sighed and stepped inside. Life sure had gotten interesting ever since the Sekirei Plan had started. As Seo entered the condo he noticed that it wasn't very big, not that this building in particular had very large places for sale anyways. It was meant for young couples. Even a small family would make most of the places for sale in the building feel cramped.

One of the first things he noticed was Musubi sitting on the couch and smiled appreciatively. He had a healthy respect for the female body. He knew who she was, he knew who all the Sekirei were, it was his business to know. He used to have a friend in a high place, and that had left him very well informed of the Sekirei Plan.

He still couldn't sense anything from the presence that was following him. He knew they were there but he had this feeling in the back of his mind that warned him against turning around. He didn't feel like getting a blade stuck in his back.

As Seo entered the living room he couldn't help but whistle at the sight. His Sekirei were hanging from the ceiling bound in a very interesting fashion. The way they were bound really accentuated their feminine assets. Their breasts were bound tight and hung down making them appear at least one size larger than they actually were. The ropes around their legs and waist had been tightened so much that it created a very pronounced camel toe on them.

"I have to say, I like the decorating you've done with the place" Seo said as he walked over to his to Sekirei and admired them. He definitely wished he had a camera to make this event more long lasting and memorable. Although knowing his girls they'd probably destroy the camera and the footage the moment they found it. Then they'd probably beat him to within an inch of his life for taking the images in the first place. "They'd kill me if I ever tried to do something like this to them. I have to hand it to you man, you've got good taste." Seo however wasn't just admiring his girls, although he was doing that as well. He took of how the wire holding the girls up appeared to simply stick to the sealing and how there were strange pieces of paper with foreign writing attached to various places on the girl's bodies. He made note to memorize the writing but didn't touch the papers. They were sticking to the girls just like the wire was sticking to the ceiling. There was something going on here beyond his area of expertise and he wasn't going to mess around with it.

"Just making sure they aren't capable of harming anyone when they awaken." Naruto said lightly as he eyed Seo, taking keen note of where his eyes lingered and what they seemed to ignore. Naruto had taken a position between Seo and the couch, just in case he wanted to hurt either of the girls behind him.

Seo turned to face Naruto and noticed a second lady in the room sitting on the couch beside Musubi. This one was a beautiful brown haired woman with the most exotic eyes Seo had ever seen. She had long, perfectly shaped legs and her face could make a goddess weep in jealously. And then there were her breasts, Seo was an expert at analyze the shape and size of breasts even through clothing. They were completely...

A kunai whistled through the air and cut him on the cheek. It continued on and hit the wall and sank several inches in. Some blood began to run down the side of Seo's face. Naruto and the lady he had been ogling were both glaring at him. "Leer at my fiancée again, and I'm removing those eyes from your head." Naruto said in a dangerous tone as his eyes narrowed. He was being deadly serious here.

Seo nodded furiously, staring at a man's future bride was a very good way to get hurt, and turned his head towards Musubi. "She's off limits as well." Damnit, this man was good. Ah well, he still had his to lovely ladies behind him and a whole city filled with Sekirei to ogle in the future.

Seo backed up so he stood between his Sekirei that were hanging from the ceiling. He raised his hands up to his shoulder to show that he hadn't meant any harm. "Sorry, sorry. I won't look anymore." Seo said. The two bondage ladies groaned as they slowly opened their eyes, awakening from the sleep that was forcefully induced upon them. Seo took note of how Hanabi's eyes narrowed as she frowned at his two Sekirei. Apparently she hadn't expected them to wake so soon.

"Ah, Hikari, Hibiki, glad to see you two are finally awake." Seo said cheerfully as he kissed them both on the cheek. He avoided their mouths as he was already walking on thin ice. He imagined if he had tried to engage their Norito he'd be dead before he had gotten to his second Sekirei. The two of them, Naruto and his lovely bride-to-be, appeared to be watching his every movement.

Musubi just seemed to be entirely clueless of the subtleties that were going on here and was just watching everything in curiosity. Her head was tilted cutely to the side while she pressed her index finger on the side of her mouth.

"Seo?" Hikari asked in confusion as she glanced over at her Ashikabi, "What's going on, where am I?" Hibiki was similarly confused, like two people that had just awoken from a deep slumber they were not entirely aware of their surroundings.

"Ah ha ha… hee…" Seo let out a strained laugh, "We, ah, seem to have been captured." Seo answered, summarizing their situation succinctly. Seo may not be in chains, but he had no doubt that this was anything other than captivity. Naruto wasn't going to just let him go.

"Captured?" The twins shouted at the same time, it was then they noticed their awkward position.

"What the hell is going on?" Hibiki shouted as she tried to squirm out of her bindings. She was an elemental type Sekirei however and lacked the strength to snap metal, especially metal that was designed to bend and absorb impacts like the ninja wire. "Why are we tied up like we were just in a bondage movie?"

Seo chuckled nervously, "You can thank that young man over there for your condition." Seo said, drawing Hibiki and Hikari's ire towards Naruto.

"You!" Hibiki shouted in anger, "You're the one that stopped us from attack that unwinged… girl." Hibiki had to stop herself short before revealing too much. "Let me down this instant before I blast you into next week!"

"You can try." The pale eyed girl said as she stood up and approached the two bound Sekirei. "And for the record, the only way you're blasting my Naruto-kun is over my dead body." She said with a growl as she slapped Hibiki across the face. "I'm the one that bound you up and tied you to the ceiling, and you'll stay like that until 'I' feel like letting you go, which may be never if I feel like you're a threat to my Naruto-kun." This wasn't the kind, shy Hanabi talking, or the calm, cold, ANBU Lotus. This was the battle ready version that would gladly sacrifice herself for the man she loved.

Hibiki glared at the girl's in humiliation as she tried to gather her lightning. She was going to teach the little strumpet a lesson when she suddenly hit a block. A gasp escaped from her mouth when she realized something. She couldn't use her abilities. "W-What did you do to me?" She asked, now more than a little scared, if she had lost her abilities was she still a Sekirei? Was Seo still her Ashikabi? Logic and common sense flew out the window as Hibiki started to panic.

Seo's eyes narrowed as he saw his girl panic. He reached out and comfortingly groped her breast. Naruto's fiancée raised an eyebrow at Seo but noticed how this seemed to calm Hibiki down a little. She turned around and headed back to the couch to sit beside Musubi. "I have sealed away your powers for now, don't worry, if you and Seo cooperate with us and answer our questions, you may all leave here tonight no worse for wear." Her eyes narrowed as she held each of their gazes for a moment, "However if we don't get our answers, we may be dumping your bodies into the river later tonight."

Musubi seemed to be even more confused as to what was going on. "Why would the three of them want to go swimming tonight if they don't answer your questions?" Musubi asked in confusion. She had no idea what the pale-eyed girl was imply with that statement. She wasn't aware that their guests had wanted to go swimming. She was so innocent to the real world that she wasn't aware of the meaning of some of the seedier phrases that less than reputable people used.

Hanabi and Naruto glanced over at Musubi and sighed in unison, "I'll explain it later, much later." Naruto said although he had no intention of ever explaining it to Musubi. There were some things the innocent were better off not knowing.

Seo swallowed hard again as he stopped fondling Hibiki. It may have seemed like an odd move to most people but in a very real sense that was his way of saying he was still with her and wanted to continue to be with her. Seo wasn't exactly the most romantic of individuals. Some of his... acquaintances called him trash and scum for good reason.

"Alright, I'll try and answer what I can, please do know I can say everything." Naruto and Hanabi frowned, and Seo held his arms up again, "It's not what you think, even if you threaten to kill me for not telling, I'm dead if I do." Naruto sighed; he knew what that was like. Some secrets were worth taking to the grave and revealing other secrets put you in it.

"Alright." The girl sitting beside Musubi agreed and Seo wondered for a moment if the girl was the dominate one in the relationship. "What's a Sekirei and what's an Ashikabi?" Hanabi started off, Seo winced as he tried to figure out how to word his response. This wasn't fair, that was definitely a question he didn't want to answer. Thankfully he didn't have to.

"Oh that's easy! Musubi knows that answer." The cheerful shrine maiden spoke up as something finally made sense to her. "Musubi is a Sekirei!" She smiled and held her breasts in her hands. Naruto admired that appreciatively and Seo noticed that with a smirk. He had to hold back a smirk of his own as he understood. He wasn't the only person in the room with a healthy appreciation of the female body. "And an Ashikabi is our destined one. We Sekirei search for our destined one so that we can be winged by them. They are the one person we dedicate our whole lives to, and we will spend forever and ever with them." Musubi said with sparkles in her eyes. "That's what Musubi was doing today. She was looking for her Ashikabi when those meanies over there attacked her."

Well that helped Seo a little bit. Musubi was one of the few people that could probably get away with revealing everything and no one would do anything about it because it was simply expected of her. It helped that certain individuals in the Disciplinary Squad favored Musubi as well.

Naruto walked over to stand beside Musubi and laid a hand gently on her shoulder. "Well you don't need to worry about those meanies anymore." He said with a smile, "If they so much as look at you the wrong way, just let me know, and I'll…" Naruto turned his head to stare at the three, an eerie grin stretched across his face. "Deal with them, permanently."

Seo, Hibiki and Hikari all shuddered and cringed away from that grin. That did not look human. Musubi simply stared up at Naruto as a blush began to form.

"As enlightening as Musubi was, it still didn't explain several things." The pale eyed girl said as she leaned forward. Seo was careful not to look at her cleavage; he liked his eyes where they were. "The Sekirei/Ashikabi pairing, what is the relationship exactly? Is it master/slave? Is it lovers? And how does a Sekirei choose an Ashikabi? What are the requirements?" She stopped as Seo started waving his arms frantically. He looked quite odd as he did that as if he was trying to fend off invisible daggers that were being thrown at him. In a sense he may very well be, although they were daggers of a different sort.

"Whoa whoa, hold on, I can only answer so many questions at one time. Since you obviously know about Sekirei and Ashikabi that makes things a little easier for me." Seo said as he interrupted Hanabi. He may get in trouble for saying this, but at least the people here knew something already. He might as well explain the whole thing. So long as he kept the details of the competition a secret he should be fine. "The relationship between the Ashikabi and the Sekirei is up to the two of them to decide. It's not exactly set in stone. The only thing that is similar in all cases is the undying love and loyalty the Sekirei has to their Ashikabi. It is complete and absolute. The Sekirei will give anything, even their life, for their Ashikabi." Seo grimaced as he glared at the floor, there were some rather unscrupulous activities happening out there. There were some individuals that used their Sekirei to do things that they normally wouldn't but had to because of their bond, "When a Sekirei finds their destined Ashikabi they exchange bodily fluids, usually in the form of a kiss, and it enacts a ritual that binds the Sekirei to the Ashikabi. As proof of this bonding wings erupt from the back of the Sekirei and a crest appears on their body."

Naruto and the pale-eyed girl glanced at each other, their faces expressionless but they both had the same thoughts running through their head, not that Seo knew what they were thinking of. He did catch the look though and filed it away in his head.

Seo cleared his throat bringing everyone's attention back to him, "As for how the Sekirei find their destined one? No one knows." Seo said with a shrug, "All that is known however is that when the Sekirei is within the presence of their destined one they start to react. At first they unconsciously stick close to them, then they start heating up, their heart beat quicken, they start to blush and oh damn man she's reacting to you!" Seo finished with a shout as he pointed at Musubi.

Four heads jerked to stare at Musubi. Her face was deeply flushed as her breaths came in short gasps. She was kneading hear breasts with her hands as she stared up at Naruto with undisguised adoration and love. With Naruto's attention on her the heat building up within her chest and between her legs became unbearable.

"Naruto-sama…" Musubi whispered huskily, Naruto hadn't even been aware that she could sound husky, "Naruto-sama is my Ashikabi-sama! I've found you at last." The hope, joy and happiness that laced Musubi's voice was more than a little unnerving. With a cry she lunged at Naruto, only to find should couldn't move. Hanabi had placed her hands on Musubi's legs and held them in an iron grip. Hanabi was forced to use more than just a little chakra to keep Musubi down. On top of that Naruto's hands quickly clamped down on Musubi's shoulders and held her down.

"NOOO!" Musubi wailed in despair, it was a sound that nearly broke Naruto's heart.

"Why are you stopping her man?" Seo asked incredulous. How could he turn down such a woman? Had he not noticed the size of her breasts? All the curves in just the right places? The face that was just begging to be kissed? The gorgeous set of legs?

"It's not that I don't want her, she's a good girl. But I already have a fiancée. I won't cheat on her with another woman. I love Hanabi and I'm not going to break her heart by being with someone else." Naruto said through clenched teeth. Musubi was getting harder and harder to hold in place. The reacting Sekirei squirmed and fidgeted as she tried to break out of their combined grasp. She needed Naruto now more than anything.

_Hanabi, so that's her name_, Seo though as he regarded the two trying to hold Musubi down. He also noted how they managed to keep a reacting Sekirei completely still with what looked like nothing more than physical strength. Seo rubbed the back of his head and came to a decision. The primary reason he wanted to knock unwinged Sekirei out of the game is to prevent unnecessary heartache, or worse being forcibly winged by others. However this situation where Musubi had already found her Ashikabi was different. To break her away from her Ashikabi after she'd found him would hurt more than anything else.

"You know, there are Ashikabi's that force wings upon Sekirei." Seo said drawing Naruto's and Hanabi's attention. "Sekirei try to find their destined one, but some people don't care about that. A person can force a Sekirei's undying love and obedience. The ritual doesn't need to be done with the destined one; the destined one is simply the best choice for the Sekirei. That's why I have my girls chase down the unwinged Sekirei. Better they find no one, then be forever stuck with the wrong person. The number of people trying to force Sekirei to be their slaves is increasing. One person has over ten, and he considers them to be nothing more than toys, collectables and possessions."

Naruto and Hanabi looked at one another for a long moment. Hanabi's thoughts going to Yashima and how abusive her Ashikabi had been. The thought of the innocent Musubi being forced into that kind of a relationship. She'd never be able to live with herself if she let it happen. Musubi wouldn't even understand 'why' it was happening to her, only that she was forced to endure it and all because Hanabi had forced her away from the one person she was the most compatible with.

Naruto's own thoughts were along similar lines. He hated those that treated people as mere possessions. Madara's entire plan had been something very similar, except on a grander scale. Forcing everyone to bend to his will and desire instead of just a single individual.

"Naruto-sama…" Musubi cried out, tears leaking from her eyes as she stared up at Naruto piteously.

Hanabi removed her hands from Musubi's legs and sat back with a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Hanabi?" Naruto asked in concern. Musubi was almost impossible to hold down with just his own strength in this position. He didn't want to enhance himself with chakra too much lest he hurt the poor girl.

Hanabi didn't like it; she didn't want to share Naruto. But the thought of Musubi being forcefully winged like Yashima was even worse. Images of Musubi's bruised and battered face, her innocence shattered, flashed across her mind and caused her to flinch slightly. And then the memories of her sister's unfulfilled love came unbidden to her mind. She had been about to force someone to end up like her sister. Loving someone, but knowing you could never be with them and being forced to be with someone else in a forced, loveless marriage. Worse, the love would be imposed.

Hanabi couldn't do it. As much as she didn't want to share Naruto she'd never be able to live the guilt down if she stopped this from happening.

"I guess I could use a new sister." Hanabi finally said lamely. It was a pitiful excuse and they both knew it but Naruto took it for what it really was; Hanabi's acceptance of Musubi and her willingness to share.

Naruto relaxed his grip and Musubi took advantage of the opening in an instant. "Naruto-sama!" She cried out in joy as she jumped into his arms and kissed him full on the lips. Had Naruto not been prepared for it he would have been knocked on his ass but as it is he merely stumbled back a few steps. Hanabi opened her eyes

Eight brilliant pink wings burst out from Musubi's back and they bathed the room in a soft pink glow. Hanabi tilted her head slightly as she looked on and had to concede, it was quite the breathtaking sight. Her misgivings relaxed a little as she reached out and brushed one of the wings and notice how it seemed to bend around her hand instead of offering resistance. A crest began to glow on Musubi's back, just below the base of the neck. It glowed with the same brilliant pink color as her wings.

As the glow receded the wings slowly disappeared into Musubi's back. The brunette looked up into Naruto's eyes and smiled lovingly. "I've found it…" She whispered, her voiced laced with happiness and joy, "I've finally found you my Ashikabi-sama." Musubi shouted in joy as she wrapped her arms around Naruto and hugged him close.

Hanabi twitched but settled down. It was hard to be mad at someone like Musubi, especially when she looked and sounded so happy. It's not like she was doing anything inappropriate either. It was just a hug.

It was just a hug.

Hanabi was going to make sure to smother Naruto in hugs tonight when they went to bed.

"Looks like we won't be chasing her anymore." Hikari said softly as she looked on at the endearing scene before her.

"I guess not." Seo confirmed. At least Musubi had found an Ashikabi that knew how to take care of himself. Seo wasn't quite sure who or what Naruto and Hanabi truly were but he knew they weren't human. They weren't Sekirei either, but they definitely weren't human. He needed to check some things out but first he needed to get out of here alive and with his two Sekirei in one piece.

Suddenly a phone rang, breaking the mood entirely. Naruto sighed and sat Musubi back down on the couch where Hanabi reached out and placed a hand on her thigh. Musubi had shown enough affection for one night as far as Hanabi was concerned. Her new sister was going to sit right there until Hanabi had her time.

Naruto walked over to the island between the kitchen and the living room and looked at his phone that was still ringing madly. It was curious, Naruto was sure that the only person that had his number was Hanabi so who could it be that was calling him this late at night? Telemarketers stopped after a certain time of day. Naruto picked it up and flipped the phone open. The entire screen suddenly lit up as a shady looking man appeared on the touch screen. Final Fantasy victory music burst out and began playing in the background.

"Congratulations! You are now the brand…"

Click. Naruto hung up. "Damn telemarketers." He muttered as he set the phone back down on the island. Ever since he signed up for offers from that one ramen stand he had been bombarded by telemarketers. Guess they were getting more persistent.

Seo on the other hand had recognized the voice and burst out laughing. "That wasn't a telemarketer." Seo gasped out between bouts of laughter. He could only imagine the director's face after Naruto had hung up on him.

"Scam artist?"

Seo started to laugh even harder; he was having trouble breathing now.

The phone rang a second time. Naruto glanced down at it and noticed it was the same number as before. He picked the phone up quickly hit the end call button on the outside of the phone. He didn't even want to deal with such a shady fellow.

Seo was on the ground now holding his sides because he was laughing so hard. "You know if you don't stop you're gonna suffocate yourself." Naruto commented idly as he watched Seo roll around on the floor.

"Poor professor." Musubi said as she stared mournfully at the phone. Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. Musubi knew who that strange person was? That didn't sit well with Naruto. Whoever he was he looked shady and he didn't like the fact that Musubi was associated with shady individuals.

And then the creepiness went to the next level when their television randomly turned on and the shady man was on it. "That wasn't very nice Naruto-san. I just wanted to congratulate you on acquiring your first Sekirei!" The man said boisterously. He didn't sound very upset at what Naruto had done, more amused if anything.

"Oh hey Professor!" Musubi greeted cheerfully as she waved at the man on the screen.

"Oh! No. 88 Musubi, are you doing well?"

How the hell were they doing that? There wasn't even a camera built into the TV that he knew of. Naruto interrupted the two, "Don't talk like Musubi is a possession, and how do you know my name?" Naruto demanded, some weird man he had never met before suddenly using devices in ways Naruto had no idea they could be used possessing information he shouldn't have. Naruto was on guard now. It didn't matter whether or not Musubi knew him, the man knew too much.

"I know everything that goes on in this city!" The man said and the paused as he took everything in the room for the first time. "Wow, that's interesting. Seo, I didn't know you and your Sekirei were into that kind of thing and to think you would share with another Ashikabi."

Groans, sweat drops, a cheer, a snarl and the sound of blood draining rapidly from someone's face could be heard.

"Anyways, regardless of your pastimes Seo I'm here for Naruto-kun!" The shady man said with a grin. "I'm Minaka Hiroto the CEO of MBI! I know all about you and your fiancée Hanabi. About her hospitalization when she first arrived, about the unique properties of your blood and all the personal information you released to get that nice place you live in." Naruto frowned but said nothing. If Minaka was the CEO of MBI then it stood to reason that he would know all that. The hospital Hanabi had been treated in was owned by MBI.

Naruto began to make preliminary plans to assassinate Minaka Hiroto. Just in case the shady man decided to threaten or blackmail him or Hanabi.

"Anyways, setting all that aside you are now part of the Sekirei Plan!" Minaka said with glee as he crossed his hands in front of him. "That's the name of the game you're now a part of."

Naruto did NOT like the sound of that. "Game? What game?" This was probably the competition that Seo had mentioned.

"The rules are simple." Minaka continued on, ignoring Naruto's question. "There are 108 freed Sekirei in the city. These Sekirei will fight and fight and fight and fight! They will continue fighting until only one is left. That Sekirei and their Ashikabi will then be given permission to ascend!" Minaka stood up and spread his arms out wide to either side of his head. "The Ashikabi who ascends with his Sekirei and overcomes all odds will hold the fate of the entire world in his hand!"

The phone in Naruto's hand shattered as he crushed it in his grip. "Either you're completely insane, or a dead man, because if you're serious, I'm going to kill you." Naruto growled. The last person that tried to hold the entire world in their hand was Madara. And if this Minaka Hiroto thought to do the same then he was going to die. He wasn't so foolish to believe that Minaka would actually let 'him' decide the fate of the world, not that he wanted it in the first place. This whole thing had to be about the CEO and what he wanted. Leaders like that never gave away anything without getting something in return.

"Now now, don't be like that Naruto-kun." Minaka said as he dismissed the irritated shinobi like it was nothing. "Don't you want the fate of the world in your hands? You could 'create' your own fate, instead of simply defying it. Anyways since you now know about this Sekirei Plan you have to keep it a secret from anyone else that doesn't already know. In the case that you leak any information our MBI will retaliate with all our force and ability." Naruto wasn't impressed. He doubted anything Minaka could field could withstand him and Kurama fully unleashed. But at least he knew why Seo had been so hesitant to speak. For someone like him MBI would be a true legitimate threat.

"Anyways, I am needed elsewhere Naruto-kun. Please take good care of our Musubi-chan." Minaka said and the TV turned off.

Seo whistled lightly as he sat up from where he had been lying on the floor. He looked at Naruto in a new light, the blood having finally returned to his face. "You have some serious balls man. The only other person I know who would threaten Minaka is Miya over at Izumo Inn and trust me when I say that she is one terrifying woman." Seo said as his respect for Naruto went up a notch.

"How much of what he said was true." Naruto asked Seo, ignoring his comment, as he pointed at the blank TV.

Seo stood up and shrugged. "I don't know. Minaka has always had a few screws loose. You're probably not too far off the truth when you said he was insane. But insane or not he's a genius that built MBI up from nothing to the world's greatest corporation in only 20 years and he wields a lot of power and influence here. He may not be physically strong but he has guardians that are, and enough money, power and influence to make anyone of any importance in Japan, and even in many places across the world, do what he wants."

Naruto grimaced, that made dealing with Minaka far more difficult. Even if he bulldozed through Minaka's forces and killed the man, the political backlash he'd take as a result would essentially destroy any chance at a peaceful life afterwards. While he didn't mind so much, Hanabi and Musubi didn't deserve a life on the run.

Still that didn't mean there weren't other cards that Naruto could put into play.

"Two more questions Seo." Naruto said as he thought back to something Minaka had said. "If 108 Sekirei are running around, how many have been winged already?"

Seo shrugged a little, "I can't give you an exact number, but around 80% have already been winged."

"So a little over 20 left…" Naruto mused as he made some quick calculations in his head.

"A little less actually." Seo said as he looked over at his Sekirei, "A few Sekirei were defeated before finding their Ashikabi and a few that did find their Ashikabi have been defeated as well." Despite interference from Homura and Naruto his girls had managed to defeat a few unwinged Sekirei before they found their Ashikabi.

Naruto sighed as he rubbed his temple. "I hate 'games' that play with people's lives." There was one more question Naruto wanted answered. If he was going to be in this 'game' as Minaka put it, he wanted to know what the biggest threat. "Last question. Who in your opinion is the greatest power in this 'game'?"

Seo had a contemplative look on his face for a moment, this was a tricky question. "When it comes to people actively participating in this game, it would be the Ashikabi or the East, the Ashikabi of the South and the Ashikabi of the West. They're all powerful enough to take control of a section of the city like it's their territory. They haven't made any moves against each other so it's impossible to tell which one is at the top." Seo answered as best he could, those were the three great powers in this game and any one of them could have a major influence on the direction this game went.

"And why isn't there an Ashikabi of the North?" Naruto asked, it seemed only logical that if the other sectors had a major player that the north should have one as well.

Seo gulped nervously. "Well, you see, no one would dare claim the north as theirs while the scary Hannya of the North exists. While not technically a part of the Sekirei Plan, she's stronger than everyone else combined. No one would dare claim the north so long as she resides there."

Now THAT was interesting. Naruto would have to think on that for a while.

He looked over at the Hikari and Hibiki still hanging from the ceiling. "Hanabi." The chakra holding the ninja wire to the ceiling disappeared dumping the two girls into Seo's arms as he reacted quick enough to catch them. Even though he caught them the sudden drop and weight sent them all tumbling to the ground. Seo wasn't prepared to catch the two of them that suddenly.

Hanabi walked over to Hikari while Naruto tended to Hibiki as they worked quickly to untie the wire from them. The seals slipped discreetly into their pockets as they worked through the knots like they had done it many times before and soon the girls were released from their bondage.

"Does this mean you're letting us go?" Seo asked hopefully as he slowly got to his feet. He really didn't want to end up as fish food. Hibiki and Hikari stood up as well, albeit a little more shakily, and began to work the circulation back into their limbs. They'd been hanging hogtied for a few hours now.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, you can go. You answered all the questions I asked. I have more but I doubt you know the answer." Or at least none that he'd freely answer. Naruto wasn't naive enough that Seo would spill everything, even if he was pressured. Naruto waved his hand towards the door indicating they could leave. "You're free to go, but what happened in here tonight is never spoken of. Am I clear?"

Seo and his two Sekirei nodded their heads vigorously. None of them wanted a repeat of tonight. The three of them hurried out of the condo, Seo's hand discreetly pocketing something, and headed out into the night. Naruto followed them to make sure they left the floor before returning. He locked the door behind him and nodded at Hanabi. It was just the three of them now.

Naruto entered the living room and leaned against the island. "Just great, now we're stuck in some game ran by a madman. What a way to end the day." Naruto muttered as he rubbed his temples.

Musubi hopped off the couch and onto her feet. "Don't worry Naruto-san! Musubi will fight really hard for you! Musubi will be sure to stay alive and win this game with you so we can ascend together!" She declared cheerfully as light danced in her eyes and final fantasy victory music sounded in the distance.

"Do you even know what it means to ascend?" Naruto asked.

"Nope!"

"Just thought I'd asked..." He sighed as he looked over at his fiancée. She just shrugged her shoulders. She didn't understand any more than he did. "What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?"

"Musubi wants to be by Naruto-sama!" Musubi declared as she grabbed Naruto's arm.

"Ano, I don't mind taking the couch." Hanabi said timidly. Now that the situation was defused she had reverted back to her shyer self. She wanted to be by her Naruto but...

"No, I won't allow that." Naruto said as he walked over to Hanabi, Musubi still clinging to his arm.

"Ya! You love Naruto-sama as much as I do! I can feel it. It's not right for you to be separated either." Musubi cried out as she bent over and pulled Hanabi up to her feet.

"I'm going to side with Musubi on this one. I mean, it's every guys dream to sleep with two women at the same time." Naruto said with a grin. He could already envision both of them in sexy sleepwear.

Hanabi blushed as she looked over at Musubi, "Alright, I guess that's fine. Ummm... Musubi, just no s-sex alright?" She stumbled over that word a bit. She wasn't about to let Naruto's first time be with anyone but her.

Musubi tilted her head to the side and looked at Hanabi curiously. "What's sex? Is that like some sort of food? Because if it is no worries, Musubi knows better than to eat in bed. She always ruined the sheets when she did that."

Hanabi and Naruto just stared at her for a few moments. They had both known that Musubi was innocent. It wasn't until now that they realized just 'how' innocent she really was. Sometimes it was like she was a little girl in an adults body.

Hanabi giggled a little and just shook her head. "No, it's not food but don't worry if you don't know what it is, I'll tell you about it later." _After I've had my way with him a few times_, she thought. Hanabi grabbed Naruto's other arm and began to pull him towards the bedroom. "Come on, let's go get changed. It's been a long day."

"Kay!" Musubi agreed and began to pull on Naruto's other arm.

**x~X~x**

Naruto opened his eyes and blinked the sleep away. Something out of place had awoken him. He frowned as he only felt a single presence in the bed beside him. He turned to the left and saw Musubi there, cuddling his arm between her breasts. Musubi wasn't wearing very much, not being able to fit into any of Hanabi's nightgowns due to the size of her breasts. Instead all she wore was a pair of panties, not that Naruto minded very much. He enjoyed looking at the well-endowed female.

He brought his free hand over and began to play with the tips of Musubi's breasts for a moment. He smiled when Musubi uttered his name in her sleep and moaned softly. It was then that he realized what the missing presence meant. Hanabi wasn't in bed with them. Naruto kissed Musubi softly on the forehead before he teleported to Hanabi's side using the **Hiraishin no Jutsu**.

He hadn't gone very far, just the next room over. Hanabi was sitting on the couch staring out the window into the city beyond. She didn't turn to look when he flashed into existence beside her, she knew it was him. Hanabi was wearing the same nightgown she had worn the night before. A sheer one black one piece that left nothing to the imagination.

"What's wrong Hanabi?" Naruto asked as he sat beside Hanabi and wrapped his arms around her.

Hanabi leaned back into his embrace and sighed softly, "I don't know." She did, but wasn't sure about how to phrase it. "I just feel like things are beginning to spin out of control again."

"Don't worry." Naruto said as he kissed the top of her head. "I'll always be by your side you know. Just lean on me and I'll carry you through any storm that comes our way." A smile graced her face for a moment before disappearing again. "Now tell me, what's really wrong?"

Hanabi blushed deeply and tilted her head to look Naruto in the eyes, "How long have we been together?" Hanabi asked, Hanabi raised a finger to his lips to stop him when he was about to respond. "No, don't answer that. We've been together for so long and I love you so much and yet..."

Hanabi tilted her head back down and looked out the window. "During the war there was never any time for intimacy. I understood that and accepted it. But the war has been over for months now and yet still we're no closer now than we were at the very start."

"And now Musubi is here and you're afraid she'll replace you?" Naruto asked. Hanabi didn't respond. She'd be lying if that hadn't crossed her mind at least once but that wasn't the whole issue. Naruto placed a hand on Hanabi's jaw and turned her face towards him. "No one will ever replace you Hanabi. No matter how many people may enter our lives, the biggest part of my heart will always belong to you."

Blue wings erupted from Hanabi's back as Naruto kissed her passionately. Hanabi leaned into the kiss and returned it with equal fervor as a heat within her built like never before.

As soon as the kiss ended Hanabi found her nightgown pulled over her head and tossed onto the floor along with Naruto's boxers. She was now spread out lengthwise across the couch, her head resting on the cushioned side. A gasp escaped her lips when Naruto began to place kisses all over her neck and face as his hands roamed freely across her most sensitive places.

She arched her body and moaned in pleasure when Naruto's fingers found the heat between her legs and began to work furiously. He enhanced his fingers with a small amount of chakra to enhance the feeling and depth at which Hanabi felt the pleasure. Hanabi grabbed Naruto's head and brought it up to kiss him passionately. She forced her tongue into his mouth and began to wage war against his.

This is what she had always wanted, this is what she had spent years waiting for, and she was damned if she wasn't going to enjoy it for all its worth.

Naruto broke off the kiss and began to trail kisses down her body until he ended up at her breasts where he began to play with them gently with his mouth. He trailed the fingers of his free hand up her side, causing shivers of pleasure to wrack Hanabi's body, until he reached her other breast and began to knead and massage it much to her pleasure.

The heat between Hanabi's legs began to build as Naruto continued his ministrations until it reached a crescendo. "Naruto!" Hanabi cried out in ecstasy. Her entire body went rigid and arched into Naruto's, moulding to his body, as she reached a climax.

Naruto lifted his head and kissed Hanabi softly on the lips, "I'm not done yet." Naruto whispered into her ear as he laid his head beside hers. He had both of his hands on her chest now.

Hanabi turned her head to gaze into Naruto's crystal blue eyes. The soft smile on her lips and the love in her eyes conveying her everything, "Naruto, please, I've waited so long. I want to be yours, completely and utterly. Forever and ever."

Naruto kissed her again, this time deeply, as he thrust forward and entered her. Hanabi's eyes widened and she moaned deeply into Naruto's mouth as she slowly closed to focus entirely on the feeling. The man she had loved for so many years was finally with her, filling her up and making her feel complete for the first time. Hanabi raised her legs and wrapped them around Naruto's waist. Now that he was inside her, she wasn't going to let him leave until he filled every part of her inner most sanctuary.

Naruto started slowly, allowing the both of them to get used to this new experience, before he started to pick up speed. Hanabi wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck as she began to move her hips in tandem with Naruto, amplifying the feeling each time they came together.

The heat between Hanabi's legs came back in full force as they made love to each other. She could feel Naruto was reaching his peak through the bond they shared. The pace quickened, moving faster and faster until they became almost a blur to the untrained eye.

Hanabi's eyes shot open as she went over the edge and a loud cry escaped from her lips. Her body moulded into Naruto's once again, as if she was trying to become a part of him in actuality. Her mind blanked out as she was overwhelmed by pleasure.

Naruto climaxed the moment Hanabi had tightened around him and he poured himself deep into her, filling every nook and cranny that he could find. He had been holding back for years and he let himself drown in pure pleasure as the release finally came after so long.

As the two came down from their emotional and physical high they found themselves smiling at each other in contentment. They both had been waiting for this for a very long time.

Naruto gave Hanabi another soft kiss, "I don't want you to ever think I would replace you my love." Naruto whispered softly.

Hanabi blushed lightly. Despite everything small things like that still made her blush, "I won't my Ashikabi-sama." She said with a small grin.

Naruto half groaned, half laughed, "Please don't start that too." Naruto complained.

Hanabi just giggled as she hugged Naruto tighter. She wished that this moment would never end.

But like all good things, they eventually come to an end. This one Hanabi hoped to have many more times in the future. When Hanabi shivered Naruto realized that it was actually a little chilly in the living room.

"We should head back to bed." Naruto whispered as he sat up, bringing Hanabi up with him. They were still attached at the waist, Naruto could have gone on all night if he wanted to, with his stamina.

Hanabi nodded wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck. "I want to stay like this until morning though."

"I have no complaints." Naruto said as he stood up, bringing Hanabi with him. Her legs were still wrapped around Naruto's waist. The two of them headed back to bed and drifted off into slumber still wrapped in each other's embrace.

Neither notice the small smile that had graced Musubi's face when they returned to bed. Nor had they noticed the busty young woman that had watched them from the shadows while they made love to each other. A woman with the Yin-Yang symbol in each of her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **There's the love scene between Naruto and Hanabi. I tried to make it as tasteful as possible. I didn't want to describe any parts of the anatomy (except breasts because well it's hard to describe it without sound vulgar, and besides it's Sekirei. The manga basically revolves around tits), I wanted to emphasis the action and the feeling itself. I wanted it to be something more than just a physical act. I wanted it to be a meaningful union. Not sure if I succeeded but I tried.

I also didn't want it to be very long. I feel some people needlessly extend it just for the sake of it. I felt that as long as the feeling was conveyed properly, and all the actions took place that I wanted to take place, the length was irrelevant. Anyways I guess you could call the whole thing a softcore lemon? If even that. Anyways, all my scenes will be like that if I have them. And I won't have them for every girl Naruto may or may not end up having in his harem. Just the really special ones. Not to say that he doesn't make love to all his Sekirei, just that I'm only gonna go into detail for what I consider the special ones, or rather special situations.


	6. Chapter 5: Eviction

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Before I begin I'll just say that this chapter was the most difficult to write so far. I want to get Naruto over to Izumo Inn eventually but I had a difficult time figuring out just 'how' to do it. I hope what I have done here is believable and makes sense. I have so many ideas and plans thought out for this story, however getting Naruto to Izumo Inn wasn't one of them. Well actually I sort of did have one but it got scrapped early on because it wasn't realistic.**

**A bit more on Naruto's Sekirei. Most of them are not canon, not really anyways, and by canon I mean they're not the Sekirei Minato ended up with. I will say this though, one of them you will never guess, not until it actually happens. That's the one I'm the most excited about writing for.  
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**And finally I'm hoping I'm not making Naruto seem too perfect like a Gary Stu or anything. It's hard though when he's just so much more powerful than anyone and everyone else in the city. I'm trying to avoid the whole Gary Stu thing by having shit go wrong around him, having problems that arise that can't be solved through sheer power. I have more things planned for the future so hopefully if he appears like a Gary Stu now, he won't pretty soon.**

**Also, I tried a new type of flashback this time, let me know what you think.  
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**Review Responses: **I'll make a little power chart. I don't want to list them all as that could ruin some suspense. The rating will be from 1 to 100 with 1 being the average citizen and 10 being the strongest person currently in my story.

100 - Sage Mode + Kyubified Naruto (Either version, 100 is misleading, it's so far off the charts it's stupid.)

93 - Kyubified Naruto Version 1 (Cooperative Biju Form)

91 - Kyubified Naruto Version 2 (Yellow Chakra Form)

90 - ?

88 - Sage Mode Naruto

88 - Miya

And that's all I'm going to say for now, I know, I'm such a tease. And don't try and compare manga Naruto with this Naruto. This Naruto has 8 more years of experience and growth to back his ability. Miya would be stronger than the current Sage Mode + Kyubified Naruto in the manga. Also do note that for matches that are close the advantage can easily sway one way or another based on personal condition, surroundings, props and just blind chance. Also Sage Mode + Kyubified Naruto may seem like it could overpower everyone but something will be revealed later on in the story that will help ease your worries about an OP Naruto. People that think outside the box will probably have already figured it out. Just think about the requirements for Sage Mode and you'll understand.

About Seo pocketing the item. First off it is very possible for him to do that without being noticed. Seo is very good at sleight of hand things. With both his Sekirei following him neither Naruto nor Hanabi, who was seated, could even see his arms and what they were doing. Hanabi also didn't have her bloodline activated; she didn't want Seo to know about it.

Now for as to whom it was in the shadows, well really there's only 1 other person beside Hanabi that Naruto would tune out at that point in time. As for their identity, it wasn't really meant to be a secret but only one reviewer actually figured out who it was. I'm not going to spoil it but I am going to say that this isn't an OC and while in the anime/manga this Sekirei DID have a Yin-Yang symbol in her eyes, it wasn't all the time. In my story it will be a permanent feature. I'm using my artistic license on this aspect.

Besides, Naruto had good reason to be VERY distracted. I don't know about you but I'd have my surroundings tuned out if I had a mature and very naked Hanabi beneath me.

**Chapter 5: Eviction**

Naruto walked across the grassy field that was his mindscape as he looked for Kurama. Although it felt like forever it really hadn't been that long since he had last talked to his friend. He had hoped that Kurama had come to some conclusion about the strange accessories they had acquired.

When he finally found the fuzzball, Kurama could be notoriously difficult to find, despite being the size of a skyscraper, when he didn't want to be, he found the fox sleeping.

"Wake up Kurama!" Naruto shouted as he approached the fox. The orb of light was still there floating lazily above Kurama's head like it didn't have a worry in the world.

The fox lazily opened one eye and gazed at Naruto as he approached and snorted, "So you finally went ahead and did it huh?" Kurama said with amusement. "You sure waited awhile, what were you waiting for? Your balls to drop?"

Naruto blushed, he forgot that because Kurama was now out of his cage he could see and feel everything he did. "Oh shut it." Naruto snapped back, "You know as well as I do that we weren't afforded that luxury during the war."

Naruto sighed and he brushed some hair from his face. It was starting to get long again and he was going to have to do something about it. "I wanted to know if you figured anything out about these glowing balls of ours."

Kurama yawned as he slowly got to his feet. "Ya, I think I've figured it out for the most part." The fox said as he glanced over Naruto's shoulder at his orbs. "Or at least your orbs anyways. I'm still trying to figure out what mine is."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, "That's good, wait what? Orbs?" Kurama had said orbs, that was plural. He turned his head quickly from side to side and sure enough there was another orb, or rather set of orbs this time. There was the blue orb as usual, although it seemed to have a slight pinkish cast to it at the moment. However in addition to the blue orb was another pair of orbs. One of them was a large pink orb, although it appeared to be heavily damaged from the cracks that spider webbed through it while another, smaller orb of pure white, circled around it the larger orb repairing the cracks as fast as they appeared. "What the hell is this?"

"When that brown haired girl kissed you I felt a second connection attach itself to your consciousness." Kurama said as he explained what he had seen and felt. "That pair of orbs appear to be connected with that 'Sekirei' you 'winged' last night. I hadn't noticed with Hanabi because I hadn't been paying attention." He would never admit to Naruto what he had been distracted by, "And if that's the case then the other orb would belong to..."

"Hanabi." Naruto finished for Kurama as he lifted his hands up to the orbs. They obediently landed in the palm of his hands, the blue orb in his right and the pink/white orb duo in his left. Naruto closed his eyes and stretched out his senses as he felt the orbs out. "These orbs represent their feelings." Naruto said.

Kurama shook his head as he sat down upon his hind legs. "Not quite, they're connected to their feelings, but those orbs represent something far more, something far deeper. In a sense you could consider it a piece of their soul. Those orbs are more than likely the mental representation of the unbreakable bond that 'Seo' character was mentioning last night." Kurama rumbled as he eyed his own ball for a moment before he returned his gaze back to Naruto. "Although I imagine they're only unbreakable for the average human. Since you're probably the only person alive who can manifest a mindscape like this it's probably not 'unbreakable' for you." Even in the Elemental Nations very few people had a mindscape. Usually it was only very powerful Genjutsu users and the hosts of the tailed-beasts that had one.

Naruto shook his head vigorously. "Never, I'll never betray Musubi or Hanabi like that. I'll protect the both of them with my life." Naruto declared fiercely as he eyed the symbols of his connection with the two women in his life.

"Another thing to be aware of." Kurama rumbled. "Hanabi's soul appears to be connected to this orb floating around me. Musubi's however, is not. It appears to be connected to something else outside of your mindscape. I'll keep an eye on the connection to ensure nothing happens. There are already enough weird things going on in your mind, I don't want more to appear." Despite being trapped inside Naruto the giant fox was happier where he was than he had ever been before save in the early days with the Sage of the Six Paths. Naruto was the first real friend he'd ever had after the sage had passed away. He would do his part to keep his friend safe and well, and that included protecting what he protected.

"Well that solves some of the riddles at least." Naruto said with relief. "At least we know the orbs aren't dangerous."

"We don't know that yet." Kurama said, warning Naruto against being too optimistic. "We still don't know why 'I' have an orb hovering around myself. We also don't know what sort of long term effects having those orbs would do to you. You've already fallen in love with Musubi faster than normal. After you got over your crush on Sakura you never were very quick to fall in love again."

"Maybe I'm just finally allowing myself to feel?" Naruto offered. Kurama just stared at him. Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly, "Ya I don't believe a word of what I said myself either." Naruto sighed as he stared at the grass before him, "I'll be careful."

Kurama nodded in agreement, "That's all I want of you. I don't believe Musubi herself is a threat or a danger either. However we just simply don't know enough about this situation we're in to drop our guard entirely."

"Thanks Kurama."

"You're welcome Naruto, and I'm looking forward to seeing you teach Musubi about 'sex'"

Naruto phased out of the mindscape, his face lighting up in a huge blush. "Stupid perverted fox." He mumbled just before he disappeared entirely. Although he had to admit he was looking forward to it as well.

**x~X~x**

"Good morning Ashikabi-sama." Two voices whispered into his ears as he opened his eyes. Someone nibbled on his right ear as a hand slid between his legs while another pair of lips covered his own. A brilliant pink light filled the room as eight pink wings erupted from Musubi's Sekirei crest.

As the pair of lips pulled away Naruto opened his eyes and gazed up into the smiling face of Musubi. "Good Morning Naruto-sama. Hanabi said this is how you liked to be woken up." Musubi said with a smile as she held her breasts in her hands. She was kneeling on the bed just to Naruto's left still clad in only a pair of white panties.

Naruto admired the sight, he really was a lucky guy, too bad Musubi was far too innocent to take advantage of at this time. He'd have to wait until much later to teach her about sex with Hanabi. "I can't say I didn't like it." Naruto said with a grin as he turned his head to look at Hanabi who was smiling at him as well. The hand was still working itself between his legs as he raised an eyebrow at the pale-eyed beauty. "Last night certainly made you a lot bolder." Naruto teased as he kissed Hanabi on the nose.

Hanabi blushed but didn't stop her ministrations. "I haven't got a clue what you're talking about. Ashikabi-sama." Hanabi replied with a grin.

"Are you a Sekirei too? Is Naruto-sama your Ashikabi as well?" Musubi asked Hanabi as Musubi turned to stare at her.

Naruto groaned for two different reasons, "No, she just likes to tease me." Naruto said with a grunt as Hanabi finished her effort. The sheets bucked a couple times but Musubi didn't seem to notice.

Hanabi sat up in bed allowing the covers to pool around her as she stretched her arms out to either side. Naruto got another eyeful of Hanabi's perfect breasts and he quickly stiffened again despite having just been pleasured. Yet again Naruto could only thank the Log for bringing him and Hanabi together. When he was younger he never even considered the possibility that one day he would be with such perfection.

Hanabi smiled down at Naruto, well aware of the show she was giving him. "Come on Musubi, let's go start breakfast. I think our Ashikabi-sama here needs to clean up in the bathroom before he does anything." Hanabi said with a grin as she glanced down at the tent rising under the bed sheets.

"Can I join him? I can wash his back for him!"

Hanabi gave Musubi an odd look for a moment before realizing she hadn't even considered the sexual implications of that statement. "Maybe another time, I want to show you how to make breakfast."

"Okay!" Musubi said cheerfully as she hopped out of the bed. Hanabi followed suit revealing that she still wasn't anything from their little exercise last night. Naruto's eyes stayed glued to her perfectly toned ass as she sashayed her way out of the room. Musubi quickly followed as well, neither had bothered to put any clothes on.

"Last night definitely made her much bolder." Naruto said after the two had left. He lifted the covers and looked down. "And these are going to need to be washed, maybe even replaced." Naruto sniffed the air a moment. "Definitely replaced."

Naruto wasn't in the shower very long. Like most guys he could get in, get cleaned, and get out in under ten minutes if there wasn't a beautiful woman in there to keep him distracted. Most guys could break five minutes easy if there was a beautiful girl waiting for them outside the shower, and Naruto had two. It was only four minutes later that Naruto walked out of the bathroom, cleaned and dressed with his regular civilian clothing.

Some voices drifted from the kitchen into the bedroom. "...and that's how you prepare the egg properly." Hanabi said, the sound of something sizzling on a pan accompanied Hanabi's explanation.

"But I don't understand." That was Musubi Naruto noted as he left the bedroom and entered the living room. "Why not just eat it as it is? It looks good enough already."

As Naruto turned to the sound of Musubi's voice he stopped and stared at the sight he saw. Musubi was there, of course, beside Hanabi looking over her shoulder at the stove where Hanabi appeared to be making some bacon and eggs, just like yesterday. And while Musubi was definitely attractive, and nearly naked, it was Hanabi that caught Naruto's attention.

"Naked Apron." Naruto muttered as he stared at yet another male fantasy come to life. A beautiful women wearing nothing but an apron cooking breakfast.

At the sound of his voice Hanabi turned and smiled at Naruto. "I see you're finished in the bathroom." Hanabi noted, taking in Naruto's appearance. Hanabi turned to Musubi, "Why don't you go get cleaned up? I'll have breakfast ready for you when you're done."

"Will Musubi get extra bacon?" She asked with big watery eyes. She really liked the smell the bacon was giving off.

"Yes, you'll get extra bacon." Hanabi said with a laugh as she gently pushed Musubi towards the bedroom.

"Yes! Musubi will be back after she takes a bath!" Musubi said as she ran into the bedroom.

Hanabi watched her leave with an amused grin. "I can't believe I was ever jealous of her. She's like a big kid." Hanabi said as she turned to Naruto. "Well? Are you just going to stand there with your jaw hanging open?"

Naruto shook his head clear and walked over to Hanabi. "I swear every time I see you, you're more and more beautiful than before." Naruto said as he hugged her.

Hanabi blushed ever so slightly at the compliment and leaned into the hug. "What a nice thing to say." She replied. She turned around and went back to cooking breakfast or at least she tried to go back to cooking. Naruto still had his arms draped across her shoulders so he snaked them down the front of her apron. He bent his head down and began to place butterfly kisses on the side of Hanabi's neck. Hanabi lips parted slightly as she moaned softly. She was still trying to concentrate on the meal before her as Naruto began to massage her breasts. "Naruto... I can't concentrate when you do that." She gasped out and began to squirm.

"Sorry." He began to move his hands more vigorously, "But after last night I just can't help myself. It's like a dam that had held back an ocean of desire has been opened." Naruto murmured as he kissed the top of Hanabi's head.

"I guess I'll have to do my best to hold the flood waters back." Hanabi replied lustily, she was becoming very aroused by this and she squirmed some more, "I wouldn't want you to unleash yourself on Musubi just yet. She wouldn't even understand what you were doing."

"If you keep grinding your ass like that against me you'll find out just how much flood water you'll have to hold back." Naruto whispered.

Hanabi looked up at Naruto and smiled, that didn't sound quite so bad right now.

**x~X~x**

As Musubi left the bathroom, now garbed in her original version of the shrine maiden outfit she noticed Naruto escorting a slightly limping Hanabi into the bedroom. Hanabi had lost her apron somewhere and Naruto looked quite a bit more disheveled than he had been just twenty minutes earlier.

Hanabi was muttering something about counter-tops not being as good as the magazines had suggested along with a half-hearted threat to burn the whole lot of them. This of course didn't make any sense to Musubi but she simply chocked it up to her inexperience with the real world. Naruto just seemed amused by the whole situation overall.

Hanabi smiled up at Musubi as they passed each other. "Breakfast is ready and on the table. Just go ahead and have what you want. I need to clean myself up before I eat anything."

"Alright, Musubi will make sure to save some for Naruto-sama and Hanabi-sama." Musubi replied as she jogged towards the door. She stopped for a moment and turned to look at Hanabi, a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Did you spill some breakfast on you when you were cooking? Is that why you're cleaning up?" Musubi asked curiously.

Hanabi frowned, "No, I don't believe so, why?"

"Because there's some egg whites on your leg." Musubi said cheerfully as she pointed at Hanabi's inner thigh. Then she was out the bedroom door to go find her breakfast.

Naruto and Hanabi both blushed fiercely. "It's times like this I'm glad she's as clueless as she is." Naruto said in a strained and embarrassed voice.

Hanabi could only nod in agreement.

**x~X~x**

A few weeks after Hanabi had left the hospital Naruto had discovered an interesting tidbit about his MBI card that Takami had probably over-looked. While most bank machines, it had taken awhile for Naruto to figure out how THOSE things worked, refused to allow any cash withdraws from the MBI card there were other ways to get cash using the MBI card.

For example buying a luxury car new and trading it to an underground car dealership or the Yakuza at a reduced price for cash. There was always a high demand for luxury items that couldn't be traced.

Naruto was careful though, if a bunch of luxury purchases suddenly appeared on the MBI card transaction list but Naruto was never seen using them there would be questons asked he didn't wnt to answer. Even if the item was just something that didn't seem likely that he would buy for his or Hanabi's personal use then they may get curious. He didn't want them to cancel his card. He wanted to dictate when he was finished with it.

However over the past two months he had made good use of this card to stockpile a load of cash in an undisclosed location in the northern section of the city. He knew the day would come when he'd have to ditch the card and he didn't want to be stuck penniless if he hadn't found a proper job by that time.

Hanabi knew about this as well but never mentioned anything. So long as they had the MBI card and stayed within Shinto Teito they didn't need cash. Because of those purchases and sales Naruto now had a little over sixteen million Yen in cash stashed away. He didn't have the proper paper work or credentials to open up a bank account, not that he'd trust a third party with his money even if he could.

Right now Naruto was considering making another purchase as he, Hanabi and Musubi perused the shelves of the store they were currently in. Naruto needed a new cell phone, his having been destroyed the night before, so that's where they were. The store wasn't very big, maybe four meters wide and nine meters deep although the ceiling was high. There was easily four two meters of clearance between his head and the ceiling. There were display cases that showcased some of the newest and greatest phones that had just come on the market. There were shelves on the walls that held the older models and versions, or the less popular ones. The store was inside a much large building, a shopping mall, Naruto had heard it called. It was in the eastern section of the city near their condo.

He was considering buying a dozen or so phones outright and selling most of them off. He could justify the purchase to MBI should they ask by stating he'd broken his last one in a fit of anger and he wanted spares for when it happened again.

In the end Naruto settled on a dozen phones of the same type. They were the new Galaxy Spiral S3 phones. They were great because of the customizability. They could be unlocked easily and have custom software placed on them. Naruto also liked the name. He didn't know what a Galaxy was, but it sounded cool, and you could never go wrong with spiral.

Musubi was staring at a bunch of non-smart phones in the back of the store as Naruto walked over to the counter. "I'd like a dozen of these phones." Naruto said as he placed one of the display versions of the Galaxy Spiral S3 on the counter. The girl behind the counter gave Naruto a queer look. "My phones tend to get accidentally… erm broken. I want extras just in case." He said apologetically as he shrugged sheepishly. The lady behind the counter just sighed as she went to get a dozen phones from the back room.

Naruto began to pat his pockets looking for the MBI card. "Shit." He said as he emptied out his pockets. The card wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"What's wrong?" Hanabi asked as she heard Naruto curse. She walked over to him and laid a hand on his arm.

"I forgot the MBI card at home."

Hanabi just smiled lightly, "Don't worry Naruto-kun, I'll head back and get it for you. Just keep Musubi company. It shouldn't take me more than ten minutes to get the card and return." The condo wasn't that big so it shouldn't take her that long to find it. It's not like there were very many places for something to hide in their place.

"Thanks Hanabi." Naruto replied. Hanabi gave Naruto another smile and quickly left the story as she made her way back to their place, taking the fastest route across the rooftops.

Musubi bounded over to Naruto. "Where did Hanabi go?" She asked curiously, she had noticed Hanabi leaving the store.

"She just went to get something for me back at the condo." Naruto replied as he put his arm around Musubi's shoulders. "Don't worry, she'll be back soon."

Musubi stared out the door thoughtfully for a moment before she turned back to Naruto. "If you had asked me, I would have gone for it for you." Musubi said with a pout. She wanted to be of service to her Ashikabi but he hadn't asked much of her thus far.

"That's quite alright Musubi." Naruto said as he guided her to one of the benches just outside the store. Naruto had idly noted that the girl at the counter hadn't returned yet. It shouldn't have taken that long to find the phones. "I'd rather get to know you better." He said as he sat down on the bench and patted the spot beside him.

Musubi beamed a smile at him and quickly sat beside him. "What do you want to know about Musubi?" She asked curiously.

"Well what kind of Sekirei are you?" Naruto wasn't worried about people overhearing. It was early in the morning during the work week. It was virtually empty here, especially since this mall wasn't exactly doing very well. It made getting deals easier since the people here were more desperate to sell than normal. "I get the feeling there are many different types. I've already encountered one that seemed to have gravity based powers and a pair of lightning bondage ladies." Naruto still couldn't believe those two would willingly run around wearing that sort of outfit, not that he was complaining or anything. It certainly accentuated their figures quite nicely.

Musubi pumped her fists forward like she was punching someone. "Musubi is a fist-type Sekirei!" She said proudly as she brought her hands back and opened them. "I'll fight all your enemies with these fists of mine Ashikabi-sama! And I will win!"

Naruto nodded as he put his arm back around Musubi's shoulders. So Musubi was a Taijutsu based Sekirei. That meant there was probably a lot he and Hanabi could teach her about fighting to get better. Had she been an elemental based Sekirei it could have made things much more difficult. The way he used his Ninjutsu seemed so different from how the bondage ladies used theirs.

Musubi leaned into Naruto's embrace and she laid her head down upon his shoulders. Naruto moved his arm down and wrapped it around her right arm and chest. "How would you like to be trained by me and Hanabi?" Naruto asked as he smiled down at the innocent girl in his arms. "We have some fighting experience; we could probably help make you stronger."

Musubi's eyes practically glowed in excitement, "Really? Oh thank you so much Naruto-sama!" Musuib gushed as her joy practically overflowed from her. Naruto could have sworn he saw happiness actually shoot from Musubi's eyes, "I have the best Ashikabi ever!"

What was taking that service representative so long to get his request from the backroom?

Naruto tensed as he felt a presence approach him that was different from the rest. He looked up from Musubi and noticed a well-dressed young man approaching him. He had short brown hair and brown eyes and appeared to be of average build for a Japanese man. He wore a pure white suit with a white dress shirt beneath it that was topped off with a red tie. Everything about him seemed perfectly normal, like he was nothing more than the son of a wealthy business man.

The only thing that set him apart from anyone else Naruto had met were the two odd facts that he was looking directly at Naruto as he approached and the two women trailing behind him. They weren't dressed like a regular citizen. One of the girls wore a tight fitting yellow and black jumpsuit while the other had purple hair and wore a white and blue dress that wouldn't have looked out of place a maid. He could also sense a large chakra signature from the both of them.

"Ah, Naruto Uzumaki, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." The well-dressed young man said as he stopped just before Naruto. He had a friendly smile on his face and his voice was light hearted as he addressed him but Naruto wasn't fooled. That smile never reached the eyes.

Still, there was no need to be hostile so long as the other party remained polite and courteous as well. Courtesy never really cost you anything. "It's good to see you as well, although I appear to be at a disadvantage here as I don't have your name." Naruto said with a grin as he returned the greeting.

The man held his hand out for Naruto to shake, "The name's Higa, Higa Izumi." The man with the false smile identified himself. Naruto shook the man's hand and nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Izumi." Naruto replied, being polite. "Now what is it you want of me exactly? I hardly think you're the type of person who just randomly wanders about making friends with strangers." Naruto asked as he tried to get right to the point. The sooner he finished with Higa the sooner he could get back to something more pleasant, like enjoying Musubi's presence.

"Straight to the point I see." Higa said with amusement in his voice, "I can accept that. Word games can get tiresome." Higa folded his hands behind his back as he straightened slightly. "Then I'll get right to the point, I want you."

"Sorry I don't swing that way." Naruto said, quickly interrupting Higa. This was worse than anything he had thought could happen.

Higa frowned but held back an insulting retort, "Not in that way. I mean your services, you're a man with very unique capabilities." _HQ compromised, Protocol 0 has been initiated. Regrouping at Alpha Point_. Naruto didn't twitch a muscle as he interpreted the message.

"Capabilities?" Naruto asked, pretending he hadn't a clue what Higa was referring to.

"Please, don't think me a fool. I'm the heir of a powerful pharmaceutical company and why we may not have MBI's power and influence; we have our sources of information and unique individuals capable of obtaining… less accessible information." It seemed pharmaceutical companies in this world were the new spy networks because it always seemed to be them, not the government, that ran everything. "One of my associates witnessed you extracting something very interesting from that Sekirei Yashima, No. 84."

Naruto was beginning to wonder if he was going to have to leave three corpses in his wake before heading off to Alpha Point. He glanced down and looked at Musubi. Maybe not corpses then, he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to introduce Musubi to that world yet.

"Oh! Musubi remembers Yashima!" Musubi said excitedly. Most of the 80's had been adjusted at approximately the same time although she was only ever really close to a few of them. "She was being adjusted at the same time as I was. She was always so shy but really fun to talk to. How is she?"

Naruto looked away guiltily for a moment. "She… she was defeated. MBI should have her by now." Naruto said finally. He had to fight to keep the emotion from his voice.

Higa smirked as he gave Naruto a knowing look, "Yes, let's just go with that." Higa said as well, playing along with Naruto but letting the man know he had some blackmail material.

"Don't worry! When I win the Sekirei Plan I'll restore her so she can be reunited with her Ashikabi!" Musubi declared as her eyes fired up and fireworks exploded in the background. Naruto just swallowed hard but said nothing. That was not something he was going to look forward to explaining to Musubi. How was he supposed to explain to her that he'd killed her friend, ripped her power away and then gave it to Hanabi? That wasn't going to go over very well.

Higa just held his self-satisfied smirk on his face. "I don't like MBI." Higa admitted as he picked the conversation back up. "You could say we're rival companies. We've been around for over a century and then that upstart company comes out of nowhere and pushes us out of the way. The way they use their money to buy everything up, hush the media, buy out politicians and bureaucrats. It's despicable." Higa wasn't about to admit his company used the same tactics. "With your unique abilities, along with your Sekirei, together we can bring MBI down. If we isolated even one Sekirei and then used your technique on it we could gain significant power and influence the world over." There was no 'we' and they both knew it, although Higa wasn't aware that Naruto knew that. "We could topple everything that madman Minaka has planned." Higa wanted Naruto, his abilities and his Sekirei. They could really help him bring down MBI. He didn't care about this Sekirei Plan in the slightest. The Sekirei were nothing more than tools for him to use to achieve his goals. Naruto would be the same.

That and Higa did not allow any Ashikabi to run around free in his territory. If Naruto declined him here, well he had called in some insurance just in case.

Naruto frowned; he had really hoped that he had eliminated everyone that had seen that technique. What's worse is if they saw that, they must have seen everything else he did, Hanabi included. This Higa fellow had a lot of blackmail material. Naruto wasn't so naïve to think that Higa had come here without some sort of backup plan in place. There's no way a leader would step forward unless they felt they held every advantage and Higa looked very much like someone trying to take lead.

While Naruto didn't particularly trust MBI, he didn't outright dislike them either. Minaka may be completely insane but that didn't mean everyone else was. Plus he hadn't done anything to actively hurt him or the people he cared about, quite the opposite actually.

Still Naruto didn't want to side with either group. MBI wasn't trust worthy and was ran by a madman. Higa looked to be even less trustworthy if his choice of words were anything to go by. His safest bet would be to decline. He wasn't close to anyone that wasn't capable of defending themselves.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline." Naruto said after a few moments of thinking, "It's not that I'm siding with Minaka, that madman needs to die, but I just don't feel comfortable using that technique a second time." That was a better way than just flat out refusing.

Higa frowned but he had expected as much from what his sources had been able to find out about Naruto. He knew Naruto has had deals with some unsavoury sorts and to get out of those dealings unscathed meant he was more than a little experienced in the art of verbal warfare.

"Well, if that's your decision, I will accept it for now, but do think it over. I'm sure in the coming days you'll want to reconsider my offer." Higa said with a smile that practically screamed 'I know something you don't'.

Naruto smiled back, "I thank you for the offer; I was looking for a job, but not that kind. If I change my mind I'll let you know." Naruto replied as he waved farewell to the Ashikabi.

"We'll be in touch" Higa finished as he continued past Naruto and headed out of the mall.

When Higa and his companions were out of sight Naruto scowled in the direction he had went and quickly stood up. "Come on Musubi, we need to go, quick." He was worried about Hanabi. If she was heading to Alpha Point zero then that meant she expected to be chased and was heading to the one area she would be certain no one would follow.

"What's wrong Naruto-sama?" Musubi asked, picking up on the turbulent emotions roiling around inside him. She didn't like to see him like this.

"Hanabi's in trouble, we gotta go."

Musubi gasped and began to pull Naruto in a random direction. "What are we waiting here for? Let's go save her!"

Naruto placed a hand on Musubi's arm. "We are, but she's not east of here. We're heading north." Naruto still couldn't help but notice that the lady at the counter of the phone store never did return.

If Naruto had stayed a few minutes longer however he would have noticed some blood spilling out under the door to the backroom.

**x~X~x**

Hanabi was pensive as she walked down the hallway of the building to her home. Something about the whole situation bugged her. While Naruto was the kind of person that often forgot things that only applied to small things like forgetting toiletries while going on a camping trip. When it came to money, especially something like the MBI card, he would never misplace it. It was something he had developed while he lived alone as a kid, where every cent he lost could mean a missed meal. Naruto was damn near close to paranoid when it came to money.

Hanabi reached their condo and reached for the door when she suddenly stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that it had been opened recently. The electronic lock looked as if it had some foreign item placed in it and the senbon needles she had place just right were out of place. They would only shift if the door had been opened.

A sudden memory flashed through Hanabi's mind.

_It had just been her father's usual trip to the fire capital. He made the trip every year at around this time. It wasn't supposed to be nothing but routine. Her father kept close relations with the Daimyo, being the oldest and most powerful clan in Konoha. The roads were safe, at least safe enough for two heavily trained Hyuga Branch member guards, Hiashi and Hanabi. The last reports from a few days ago had put Madara up in Kumogakure._

_It was late in the day and they had just arrived at the first way-station on the way to the fire capital. These buildings were half underground. The standard facilities were above ground such as the guard station, rooms for rent, and a lounge where you could rest. Beneath the station was a storage area and a fallback area should they ever be attacked. In addition there was an escape route that could be used to evacuate VIP's. The way stations were maintained by both Konoha shinobi and members of the Daimyo's imperial forces._

_When they arrived at the front door Hiashi stopped and knocked lightly. The guards should have seen them coming and had been ready for them. Hiashi frowned slightly as no one answered the door. Whoever was on door duty must have been asleep; it wouldn't have been the first time. This way station never saw any trouble. It was too deep in Konohagakure territory and none of the outlying outposts and mentioned anything about hostiles in the area. Hanabi activated her Byakugan out of curiosity as Hiashi opened the door to walk in._

"_FATHER WATCH OUT!" Hanabi screamed as the door opened._

_Someone was inside, someone that shouldn't be._

Someone was inside, someone that shouldn't be.

The memory flashed through Hanabi's head as her body instinctively bolted back down the hallway. She had to get away, she had to get out. The condominium had several escape routes in case of a fire. One of them was a fire escape for the lower levels. Thankfully their condo was on a level that had one of the fire exits.

The only bad part about it was that it had an automatic locking system that only disengaged when the fire alarm went off. The condominium owner didn't want any less scrupulous individuals using it as an entry point.

Hanabi flashed down the hall, her chakra enhanced legs lending her speed far in excess of what a normal human could ever hope to accomplish. Olympic sprinters would have fainted dead away if they had seen her and probably given up trying for good measure. Had anyone been in the hallway they would have only seen a blur as Hanabi shot down the hallway.

Just before Hanabi reached the door she dove forward and began to spin. She knew this would probably destroy the door, the door frame, the wall, and probably even the neighbouring places, but she needed to get out, she had to get out.

"**KAITEN**!" Hanabi shouted.

"_**KAITEN**__!" Hiashi shouted._

_It was a good thing Hiashi had reacted instantly to his daughter's warning as a giant snake shot out from the door and tried to devour the elder Hyuga. However due to Hanabi's warning instead of getting a tasty treat it got a mouthful of violently spinning chakra. The snake was ripped in half as the force of the lunge carried it forward and into the Kaiten where Hiashi's powerful Kaiten tore through it._

_There was some slow clapping as an individual appeared from where the snake had come from. It wasn't Madara, but it was someone just as bad. It was the greatest threat to the Elemental Nations just behind the ancient Uchiha._

_It was Uchiha Sasuke._

"_Sasuke…" Hiashi growled as he glared at the Konoha nuke-nin. "What are you doing here?"_

_Sasuke grinned manically. He had changed a lot since he had brought Orochimaru back to life, "Ensuring Konoha's destruction." He replied and snapped his fingers. Around him two dozen sound shinobi appeared._

"_Ko! Cho! Get Hanabi out of here now!" Hiashi shouted as he settled into his family's patent gentle fist stance. If this was going to be his final stand he was going to make sure he bought enough time for his daughter to escape._

_Hanabi hesitated to leave; she didn't want to leave her father all alone. Even she knew he couldn't beat Sasuke by himself._

"_Kill them all!" Sasuke snapped as he pointed at the Hyuga. The sound shinobi reacted instantly and attacked all at once._

_Ko was at Hanabi's side in an instant, "We need to go now." He said as he tugged Hanabi's arm pulling her with him as he turned to leave._

_With tears in her eyes she followed and jumped into the trees above._

Another flashback ripped through Hanabi's mind as she jumped over the railing and onto the wall of the building across from the condominium. Utilizing the tree walking technique she raced up the side of the building until she reached the rooftop.

As she flipped over the edge and onto the roof she went through a series of hand signs. She needed to send Naruto a message, _HQ compromised, Protocol 0 has been initiated. Regrouping at Alpha Point. _ She and Naruto had developed several protocols. Protocol 0 was the self-destruction protocol that was used when they had to abandon a base and destroy all evidence that it had existed. The two of them also had four safe zones in which they could flee to: Alpha Point, Beta Point, Charlie Point and Delta Point. Alpha was in the north, Beta in the west, Charlie in the south, and Delta in the east.

Delta wasn't a particularly good choice at the moment so she was going to head to the next closest and probably the safest. Alpha Point: Izumo Maison.

Hanabi flipped her hands through another series of signs and detonated the security measure Naruto had installed.

A massive explosion erupted behind her as she fled across the rooftop. The condo that she and Naruto had lived in for the past two months went up in a massive ball of fire as everything in the place was annihilated.

The explosion was so powerful it blasted out the other side of the building as the condo complex across from theirs was obliterate in addition to their own. The condos besides, above and below their own as suffered major damage as the walls, ceilings, and floors associated with those condos simply ceased to exist. Chunks of metal and concrete were sent flying across the city, some pieces landing as far as two miles out. An out of control fire began to rage through the building as the buildings fire alarms started blaring. The shockwave from the explosion was strong enough to shake the building Hanabi was on and cause her to stumble a little before she adjusted for it and kept going.

She could feel the heat from the explosion as well. Hanabi wondered just how much Katon chakra Naruto had fed into those seals of his because she had to admit, this was a bit excessive. Hanabi did feel sorry for the other people they inconvenienced but their insurance should cover it.

She hoped.

Hanabi's eyes narrowed suddenly as she stopped quickly, sliding across the gravel rooftop. Her sixth sense that she had honed to perfection during the war was alerting her to another presence, no two. She whipped her head back towards the destruction she had initiated and noticed someone leaping towards her. She didn't look like a normal roof top hopping individual, not if the angry snarl, singed exotic clothes, and the fact that she was literally fifty feet above the level of the rooftop and closing in fast, was anything to go by.

Not that a normal person jumped from rooftop to rooftop in the first place.

Heat began to build up inside Hanabi as she felt a power she didn't know she had before well up. She didn't know exactly what it was she was about to do, but she knew how to do it. She suddenly became hyper aware of her chakra, including the chakra she had used to detonate the explosive seals. She began to gather her chakra around her core and increased the gravitational effect of the planet on her mass exponentially. Then Hanabi focused on the free falling woman.

"Invade MY home will you? How about I give you a taste asphalt!" Hanabi growled to herself as the pull reached the level she desired. The roof around her began to cave in as the gravitational pull of the planet began to exceed what the roof was capable of holding up. Hanabi thrust her palms forward. "Gravitational Projection!" She shouted as the gravitational pull that was centered on her was suddenly projected onto the oncoming individual. The sudden change in gravity surprised the woman greatly. Hanabi saw her eyes widened in surprise as the forward momentum of the jump was no longer sufficient to overcome the new pull on her body. With a shriek she was instantly yanked towards the ground at near terminal velocity. A crash sounded as some of the less structurally sound sections of the city gave way, like the parking lot.

One down.

"_One down." Cho said as he licked his bloody fingers._

_Ko was dead at his feet, a look of utter surprise on his face. He had never seen the attack coming until it was too late. _

_One moment the three of them were jumping through the trees, their Byakugan active as they looked for ambushes, and the next Cho had attack them violently. He had lashed out with a chakra enhanced kick and broke Hanabi's shin as she landed on a branch. Between the weight of her body, the impact of the landing, and Cho's kick, it had snapped like a twig and sent the young girl tumbling to the forest floor._

_Ko had turned to leap to Hanabi's aid when Cho had lashed out with a bastardization of the gentle fist style and jabbed his chakra covered fingers into Ko's throat, severing both of his jugular veins. Ko's face had taken on a look of utter surprise as he stared at Cho with a look of confusion and betrayal before he fell from the trees and landed on the ground with a thump._

_Now Cho was calmly approaching Hanabi, a grin on his face and blood dripping from his fingers. _

_Hanabi held her broken legs in her arms as she glared at her supposed bodyguard. She had broken the second one when she had landed awkwardly from the unplanned fall. _

_If someone had told Hanabi that she would one day be betrayed by her own clan she would have laughed in that persons face. She never would have thought this was possible. Sure the Hyuga clan had its share of internal disputes. What family or clan didn't? But they'd never had an outright betrayal. They were supposedly better than the Uchiha._

"_Why, why are you doing this?" Hanabi cried out in pain and anger._

"_Why?" Cho asked confused, "Why you ask? You should know the reason you damn bitch." Cho snarled as he kicked Hanabi in the face. "Forever locked in servitude to a single branch of the family that doesn't give a shit about you? Fear that at any moment a main branch member having a bad day could make yours worse simply for being near them? Are those not reasons enough to betray you?" Cho shouted, spittle flying from his lips as he raged at the little girl._

_Hanabi just stared at Cho in wide eyed horror._

"_You see this?" Cho said as he ripped the headband from his forehead and threw it on the ground. "This is a curse! And Orochimaru has promised to free me from this curse if I bring you to him." The traitor smiled grimly, he was going to savour every second of this. "With Ko and your father dead, there's nothing to stop me from dragging your pathetic little royal ass all the way to Orochimaru. He's given up on the Sharingan, but the Byakugan is the next best choice."_

_Cho spat a glob of spit into Hanabi's face. "I'm going to make sure you can't struggle as I drag your sorry ass all the way there." _

_A sword flashed towards Cho._

A staff flashed towards Hanabi.

Hanabi glued her feet to the rooftop as she leaned far backwards to avoid the attack. She practically hovered off the ground, her incredibly powerful chakra enhanced legs capable of keeping her rigid in such an awkward position. The staff just barely missed Hanabi as it whooshed over her bent body. While she was parallel to the ground Hanabi reached down with a single hand and steadied herself. With quickness that belied the eyes Hanabi lifted a leg off the ground and hooked it around the staff so that it was tucked beneath her kneecap before her assailant was able to pull it back.

Gluing the inner part of her knee to the staff with chakra she brought her leg down with all her strength, jerking her attacker off balance.

However this wasn't an inexperienced individual. Instead of trying to resist the pull the attacker simply let go of the staff. The sudden loss of resistance threw Hanabi off balance and before she could recover a pair of hands slammed into her chest, sending her crashing into the rooftop.

Hanabi tried to roll away but her legs were still entangled with the staff. Her attacker grabbed the end of the staff and with inhuman strength brought it up and swung it with Hanabi still attached. The force of the swing disentangled Hanabi as her legs slid free off the opposite end of the staff but it was already too late to stop her flight.

She flew off the far end of the building and fell towards the building below. With a crash she slammed into one of the air conditioning units on the rooftop. Hanabi dimly noted that she had landed on the roof of an ice cream store.

Hanabi closed her eyes and groaned in pain as she rubbed her chest. That had hurt, a lot. Whoever was attacking her had a lot of physical strength. Her eyes snapped as alarm bells went off in her head. Reacting to instincts honed by years of warfare Hanabi rolled backwards and placed her hands on the edge of the air conditioning unit as she pushed off into a back flip.

And not a moment too soon.

_And not a moment too soon._

_Cho had been preparing to close Hanabi's tenketsus to prevent her from struggling when a sword ripped through his chest and heart. He died almost instantly living just long enough time to register the fact that there were two feet of steel jutting from his chest before the end._

_As Cho slid off the blade a purple haired ANBU with a cat mask became visible to Hanabi. She was shocked, both she and Cho had had their bloodline limit active, how did the ANBU get that close without either of them seeing her?_

"_I'm glad I made it on time." A soft feminine voice said from behind the mask as she wiped the blood off the blade. With a quick flourish she sheathed it across her back. "Are you alright?"_

_Hanabi shook her head, "No, I can't walk, my legs are broken." Hanabi said with a whimper, "But more importantly my father, he's over there fighting Sasuke." She cried out as she pointed in the direction they had come._

_The ANBU bent down and gently lifted Hanabi into her arms. "The rest of my squad is on the way to the way station. We had gotten reports too late that there was an Oto shinobi squad near here and we were sent to see to your safety and to get rid of them." The woman explained as she jumped into the trees and began to head back to Konoha. "My task is to get you back to Konoha safely. Just relax I'll get us there in a few hours."_

_Hanabi nodded silently as she gazed over the ANBU's shoulder back into the distance. She strained her Byakugan as she tried to peer into the distance hoping to catch a glimpse of her father. She prayed that her father was alright and that he would come home alive._

"_Umm, Miss ANBU?" Hanabi was curious about something._

"_Yes Hanabi?"_

"_How did you get so close to Cho without either of us seeing you?"_

_The ANBU smiled, not that Hanabi could see that, and chuckled lightly. "The all-seeing eye of the Byakugan isn't as all-seeing as your elders would like you to believe. Do you see the leaves on the tree? Do you notice the insects on the ground? You only notice what you deem as important. All else is ignored. After all, the mind can't normally process all the information it sees. It only recognizes that which it deems important and ignores all else."_

_Hanabi thought about that for a second. It made sense. If this ANBU could make herself seem so unimportant that everyone ignored her then it wasn't that she and Cho didn't see the ANBU, they had just subconsciously ignored her._

"_Do you think you could teach me?"_

_She looked at Hanabi and smiled._

She looked at Hanabi and smiled as she pulled her staff out of the ruined wreckage of the air conditioning unit.

The air conditioning unit might as well be nothing more than scrap metal after the staff had sheered through it. If Hanabi had still been there that would have broken every rib, even with her body reinforced with chakra.

"This is great, you're far better than I had expected. I thought this would be an easy snatch and run mission." The staff wielding Sekirei said as she grinned with excitement. Above her another Sekirei landed, this was the same one Hanabi had slammed into the ground earlier. She looked a little worse for wear but aside from that she didn't appear to have any visible injuries, although considering how much blunt trauma she had inflicted there were bound to be some serious bruising later.

"Speak for yourself, stupid bitch detonated a bomb beside me and then slammed me into the ground after I jumped out!" The second woman complained as she tried in vain to brush the ash and asphalt off her clothing.

It was only now that Hanabi finally got a good look at her two assailants.

The one with the staff that had ambushed her was a tall woman with long dark green hair and blue eyes. She wore a blue and white belly-top that was cut in the middle to generously show ample cleavage. Long dark gloves, stockings held by a garter over her bloomers and thigh length boots finished off her ensemble.

The second woman, the one Hanabi had slammed into the ground, had short cropped black hair and dark eyes. She was darker skinned than anyone she'd seen to date. She wore a purple, yellow and black outfit that wrapped tightly around her and was held together with a small metal ring just below her breasts. The outfit was almost non-existent showing more skin than it covered as it strained to cover even the basic modesty. She also wore long black thigh high boots and short black gloves.

"Oh goody, I got jumped by two sluts." Hanabi muttered to herself, making sure she spoke just loud enough to be heard.

"She appears to have some bark to her as well!" Toyotama said with a laugh and a grin. She was beginning to like this girl. Toyotama shifted her grip on the staff and began to circle around Hanabi.

"**Byakugan**!" Hanabi snapped. The veins around her eyes bulged as her bloodline activated granting her 360 degree vision and greater insight into the muscle and chakra movement of her opponents. She immediately noticed that both had a powerful core of chakra within them and that this core seemed to pulsate chakra outwards through their body on a regular interval like a heartbeat. She also noticed that most the chakra seemed to be redirected to their muscles, bones, ligaments and nerves allowing them to move faster, react quicker, hit harder, and take more damage than usual. It was a type of reinforcement that went way beyond anything she was used to seeing in the Elemental Nations. It appeared to be a more advanced version of her Naruto's Sage Mode. She wouldn't be able to use her Gentle Fist style to hit vital organs. Everything was encased in what appeared to be a shield of chakra. The amount she would be required to use to penetrate that and do a meaningful amount of damage to one would drain her so much she wouldn't be able to fend off the other.

And with just that one glance Hanabi knew that these two were Sekirei. There was no way a regular person could have that much chakra or have it manipulated and used in such a manner.

"Oh damn girl, that's freaky." Ichiya said as she stared at Hanabi's eyes in revulsion. "How the hell do you get a boyfriend with eyes looking like that? You'd have to find someone who was pretty desperate."

Alright, she was dead, she was going to die a long, horrible, agonizingly painful death. Hanabi was going to enjoy tearing Ichiya apart limb by limb, piece by piece. Ichiya had just insulted her family, her bloodline and her Naruto all in the same breath. She had just signed her death warrant.

But not today, she had to get to Alpha Point. She had neither the time, nor was she prepared, for this two on one fight. If Naruto got to Alpha Point before she did, he was going to go ballistic and break something.

Like Shinto Teito for starters.

"As much as I want to play with you two circus clowns I have somewhere I need to be." Hanabi said as she got into her fighting stance. "So if you're going to attack, attack, otherwise get the out of my way and go back to whatever master you've whored yourself to."

"Ichiya!"

"I know!" Ichiya replied as she shot towards Hanabi at incredible speeds. With her eyes she noticed Toyotama jumping into the air to bring her staff down on her head. It was a two-pronged attacked, basic but normally effective.

Unfortunately for the Sekirei Hanabi wasn't normal.

Hanabi waited until they were almost within melee range before she began to spin. "**KAITEN**!" Hanabi shouted as she began to whirl, chakra began to spill out from every tenketsu on her body creating a virtually impenetrable wall. She had a plan to end this fight instantly.

"SHIT!" The two Sekirei said as they slammed into the defensive technique unable to slow down, or in Toyotama's cause, evade in time. The Kaiten battered them for a moment before throwing the two girls across the rooftop but Hanabi wasn't finished with them yet.

She began to gather her new power within her and increased the gravitational pull centered on her body exponentially. "Gravity Attraction." Hanabi stated grimly as she used her power to pull Toyotama and Ichiya back towards her. The shattered remains of the air conditioning unit and the gravel on the rooftop also got picked up and sucked towards the whirlwind of chakra.

Hanabi noticed that there seemed to be a limit to how far out the gravitational effect seemed to go. It was as if there was a dome or sphere in which everything inside was affected but everything outside was completely untouched. That was fine for Hanabi however, she would figure out exactly why later but for now it was enough to affect those two Sekirei, and she didn't really want to affect the entire city with her ability.

The two Sekirei screamed in pain as they were forcefully ground against the edge of the Kaiten. Hanabi's spinning chakra was too potent and fast for them to break through and in fact the Kaiten was designed to repulse whatever hit it. However Hanabi was using her newfound power to forcefully pull Toyotama and Ichiya in towards her. The balance between the repulsion and the attraction were equally strong so instead of breaking through or being shot away they just got grounded against the outer most edge of the barrier as her chakra tore at them.

Hanabi grinned viciously as their clothes ripped and tore away and their skin began to shred. Even their chakra reinforced bodies weren't going to stand up to this kind of abuse for very long and Hanabi had every intent on keeping it up until they were dead.

Unfortunately for Hanabi fate had other ideas.

Hanabi let out an agonizing scream as incredibly horrible pain ripped through her arms. Her new power disappeared instantly allowing her Kaiten to throw Toyotama and Ichiya across the rooftop. The two Sekirei slammed into the ground with incredible force and slid several meters before stopping in an unmoving heap. The Kaiten ended soon after as Hanabi fell to her knees and cried out in agony as she stared at her arms.

They looked like someone had just dumped boiling water all over them. Her hands were glowing red and her veins were twisted and bulging. Her forearms weren't much better either being a dark shade of red. The veins there were also bulging and incredibly pronounced. It was as if they had engorged to several times their normal size. But the worst part was the blood dripping out of small holes in her arms and hands. Holes that coincided with the location of her Tenketsu.

Hanabi hissed in pain as she slowly stood up. She had to move, she had to get to the Alpha Point.

Without looking back to see if her opponents had stayed down she shot across the rooftops and headed north.

* * *

**Author's Note: **By now you've probably noticed but Hanabi and Naruto have several different persona. The only thing is that it's not a true split personality since they're completely in control and aware of all actions. It's more like they, or rather are conditioned to, change personalities like one would flip a switch depending on the situation. They are coping mechanisms so that they could live relatively normal lives on the side while still being able to maintain combat efficiency when it's required.

Something critical to note as well is that every persona of both Hanabi and Naruto, have been jaded and scared by eight years of war. This means that both of them are much harder, and much more willing to do the nastier things in life than they were in canon. No one goes through eight year war watching everyone they love get killed and comes out the same. Neither want to ever lose a precious person again and they'll go to extreme lengths to protect them.

If enough people want it I'll actually include all the personas, how they came about, what they are and any other information you the reader wants as an Author's Note in the future. Unless it's requested I'd rather not have a giant info dump at the end of my story. And yes more than just a couple people must want it, otherwise I can just use PM's.

Now onto the next bit.

It may seem odd that Naruto has almost 16,000,000 Yen as I mentioned in this chapter, however that really only translates into about 200,000 dollars Canadian. Not that much considering he's buying and selling high end expensive luxury items. I'm basically using current day values and exchange rates and since I'm Canadian it's based on the Canadian Dollar, not the American. Canada is better! ^_^

No I'm not bias! Honest!

And finally the 'real' reason why Yashima was chosen as arrived! It's because of her Sekirei power. I could have used any Sekirei to restore Hanabi's chakra but I wanted to use one whose power could be used in tandem with Hanabi's bloodline ability. Since she uses the Gentle Fist techniques and forgoes weapons this excluded the VAST majority of the Sekirei from the list. All first, leg, power or weapon type Sekirei got excluded from the potential list. That left only force or elemental type Sekirei. The elemental ones all have major roles in canon, or have such a huge following I'd get lynched if I did that to them. The only one that didn't was Yashima. She may have used a hammer but her Sekirei abilities revolved around gravity as can determined by the name of her Norito attack 'Gravity Hammer'.

As you can now see, with the proper use of the gravity ability and successful blending of methods of chakra distribution Hanabi can make her abilities exponentially stronger.


	7. Chapter 6: Izumo Maison

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Well, I've just read chapter 139 of Sekirei and that certainly had some interesting revelations. Takehito's death is something I can definitely work into my story. The whole Miya being attuned to Kouten however… hmmm. That may be more difficult. Still trying to decide if I should ignore that. I have some ideas on how to integrate it but at the moment it's pretty flimsy. A word of warning, from this point on any new revelations in the Sekirei manga may or may not be incorporated into my story.**

**Review Responses:** There were some talk of Hanabi having Pein's power. She doesn't. Pein's ability is closer to magnetism than gravity. He had the ability to attract and repel. Hanabi can only attract does it through a different method.

With the exploding condo… Hanabi had no idea just how powerful the explosion would be. However even if she did it wouldn't have changed her decision to do it, from their perspective the condo had to be destroyed. Were there fatalities? Oh yes, quite a few actually although Naruto and Hanabi will never find out. Since it was related to a Sekirei battle (even if it was only believed to have Sekirei on one side) it was completely covered up by MBI.

I'm not going to explain what happened to Hanabi, that'll be revealed in the story later.

The blood seeping under the door. Basically the receptionist was killed. Why? Well, I'm not going to reveal everything ^_^.

And finally I think one of my anonymous reviewers is gonna try to murder me after he/she reads this chapter ^_^. There is a method to my madness though, just you wait!

Anyways enjoy the chapter. It's short than the previous few but it covers what it needs to and the ending is a good enough place to stop.

**Chapter 6: Izumo Maison**

With a thump Naruto arrived at the location he and Hanabi had designated as Alpha Point, the center of the safe zone in the north, Izumo Inn. Specifically just across the street from the entrance. According to the rumors there was a 'scary Hannyo' living here that terrified anyone nearby into obedience and civility. Even MBI left this place alone. Naruto idly wondered what kind of person could garner such a reputation.

Probably some ugly, evil shrew or a hulking monstrosity. Naruto hadn't really looked into the physical description of the individual, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was the effect they had on the surrounding area.

He and Musubi had quickly left the shopping mall after Higa had left them and had made their way north in all haste. They had taken to the rooftops and jumped from roof to roof as they hurried northwards.

Naruto would have liked to have made it here sooner but he didn't want to leave Musubi behind. For one she didn't know where the Alpha Point was and secondly he didn't want to leave her alone in case someone tried to attack them as well. Musubi had become one of his precious people and he'd protect her as fiercely as he protected Hanabi. Although that didn't mean he'd fight her battles for her, Naruto didn't think she'd appreciate that; he'd just make sure she had enough help to survive them.

Naruto looked around and noted that Hanabi hadn't arrived yet. She should have been here already if she had headed straight here. Their condo was closer to Alpha Point than the mall they had been shopping at, plus Hanabi wasn't slowed down by Musubi. He was going to have to work on increasing Musubi's speed.

"Wow! Naruto-sama is so fast." Musubi exclaimed as she landed beside him. "Can you teach me how to run as fast as you?" She asked excitedly. Musubi was so happy that her Ashikabi was someone like Naruto. He was kind, gentle and fast.

Naruto smiled at the exuberant girl. There was just something about Musubi. She always managed to bring a smile to his face even in these types of situations, "Yeah, I have no problem with that but be warned, it's hard training."

"Musubi can handle it! Musubi is tough." Musubi pounded her chest with her fist and grinned at Naruto.

Naruto glanced at Musubi and he rubbed her head with his hand. "I know you can, I just thought it'd be fair to warn you." He said as he smiled again. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the pout Musubi gave him as he made a mess out of her hair. Naruto looked up and scanned the rooftops, his smile giving way to a frown, "Where is Hanabi?" He muttered to himself, he was starting to get worried. He didn't want to use the Hiraishin unless he absolutely had to. It would also suck to appear in front of her in mid-jump.

"Oh! I see her!" Musubi said as she looked southeast. Naruto's head whipped around to stare in the direction Musubi was looking. Musubi began to wave her arms wildly, "Hanabi! Over here!" She shouted to get Hanabi's attention.

"You have really good eyes." Naruto said as he squinted into the distance. Sure enough there was someone headed there way but they were moving oddly. When someone jumped they normally used their arms to help propel them forward. At the very least they brought them up to get them out of the way of their legs. However the arms here seemed to dangle down like they were useless.

Naruto's eyes widened at what that meant, "Hanabi!" He shouted as he used the **Shunshin no Jutsu **to flash towards her. Hanabi stumbled a bit as Naruto appeared before her and fell into his arms exhausted.

She looked up into Naruto's eyes and smiled, "I… made it." She said before fainting from the pain.

As Naruto picked up her unconscious body bridal style he noticed the condition of her arms. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed how damaged they were. From the elbows down it looked as if they had been submerged in boiling water. Many of the veins bulged out further than normal as if an abnormal amount of blood was flowing through them. In addition there were streaks of dried blood on both her hands and forearms.

_I'm going to obliterate whoever did this to her_. Naruto snarled as he turned and performed another shunshin to get back to Musubi. Musubi gasped as she saw Hanabi cradled in Naruto's arms. Tears began to well up in her eyes. The burns on Hanabi's arms looked bad.

_Can I eat them?_ Kurama asked, truth be told he had grown attached to Hanabi as well. She was one of the least annoying mortals he's ever had to deal with.

_Only what's left after I'm done with them_, Naruto though back. He already had plans in mind. Hooks, chains, whips, gerbils, spoons and vinegar all came to mind.

"What happened to her Naruto-sama?" Musubi asked, her voice almost breaking. She'd probably never seen someone seriously injured in her entire life. This probably came across to her as a great shock. Naruto had seen far worse, he wasn't innocent like Musubi. He wasn't disturbed by what he saw, no he was angry at who it had been done to. No one hurt his precious people and got away with it.

_Ooo, time to pick out the sauces. What should it be this time, sweat and sour or honey garlic, Oh, maybe that new hot sauce I saw on that commercial…_Naruto tuned out Kurama as he turned his attention back to his love. He could listen to Kurama conjure up different methods of cooking people at a later date. Right now he had more pressing concerns.

"I don't know, but when I find out someone is going to get hurt." Naruto growled angrily.

"I hope you don't plan on hurting anyone around here." A melodic voice said from behind Naruto.

His eyes opened up wide as he whipped around in surprise. Someone had snuck up on him, on HIM. That was virtually impossible. There shouldn't be anyone with that level of stealth. It was unheard of even back in the Elemental Nations. Between his prank wars when he was younger, having to survive in the wilderness with a brilliant orange jumpsuit and hiding from god-like forces during the war he had honed his stealth, and ability to detect those around him, to a level that made even the most skilled ANBU look like clumsy children.

But sure enough standing not even two feet away on the street outside the inn was a beautiful woman with long waist-length purple hair and brown eyes. She was wearing the traditional attire of a shrine maiden that consisted of a purple hakama, a white haori with a sash-like belt and wooden sandals.

She also appeared to be wielding a broom stick like she knew how to use it.

Naruto wasn't fooled by the easy way she held it at her side. It was in such a position that it could easily be brought up to fend off an assault.

Naruto gave her an easy smile. Despite her high level of stealth, and apparent readiness to use her broom, she didn't appear to be all that aggressive. "No, no, of course not. My friend was attacked and suffered severe injuries. I just felt that some… justice needed to be dispensed, that's all. Anger made me exaggerate." Naruto said quickly as he tried to defuse the situation. He hadn't exaggerated but while the lady didn't appear to be aggressive, he didn't want to start anything. Not while he was holding a wounded Hanabi in his arms, she needed medical attention.

Which brought Naruto to another dilemma. Where could he take her? He wasn't letting MBI anywhere near her after seeing how insane Minaka was. That unfortunately didn't leave many options within Shinto Teito.

The laverendette's eyes widened as she saw Hanabi in Naruto's arms for the first time, "Oh my!" She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. "The poor girl's arms! Please come in and I'll get a room prepared for her."

"I don't want to impose." Naruto replied politely. Sure he was in the safe zone in the north but he had dealt with too many spies and assassins during the war to trust strangers too easily. This woman seemed far too willing to offer assistance and aid for his liking.

The purple haired woman frowned at him. Her eyes taking note of the cautious attitude he was displaying towards her. "And where do you intend to take her like that?" That was a good question, he couldn't go to any hospitals, and he didn't have any place nearby that he owned and could set her down while he looked for medication. The woman's frown disappeared and she offered him another soft smile to put him at ease, "My husband owns Maison Izumo here and he never believed in turning away someone in need." She said softly as she beckoned Naruto to follow her, "Don't worry, I will not allow any harm to be done here at Maison Izumo."

Something in the way she held herself, the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes made Naruto believe her. His shoulder sagged a little in relief as some of the tension drained from him, "I… Thank you." Naruto said and bowed as low as he could with Hanabi in his arms.

"I'm Asama Miya, the landlady here." The woman now identified as Miya explained as they turned to head inside.

"It's good to meet you Asama-san." Naruto said with a smile, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the girl beside me is Musubi, and the woman in my arms is Hyuga-Uzumaki Hanabi." Naruto finished the introductions.

"I'm a Fist-Type Sekirei!" Musubi said cheerfully after Naruto had introduced her.

Naruto sighed, so much for keeping the Sekirei Plan a secret. Miya just put a hand to her cheek and smiled, "Oh just call me Miya, Asama-san makes me feel old." She seemed to have completely disregarded what Musubi had said. Miya glanced at the Hanabi's hands and noticed the silver ring for the first time. A sad wistful look crossed her face for a moment before it disappeared and her usual expression returned.

"It's nice to meet you Miya-san!" Musubi said cheerfully before she turned to Naruto and Hanabi again. "Will Hanabi be alright?" Musubi asked in concern, her eyes transforming into large teary pools of water.

Naruto was now wondering if Musubi was bipolar or something, "She'll be fine." He gave her a smile as he lied through his teeth. It looked pretty bad but he didn't want Musubi to be any more worried than she already was. "She's suffered worse than this before and came out no worse for wear." That part was true, what he didn't mention was that there had been two skilled medic-nins on hand at the time. There wasn't any here.

Miya's eyes narrowed as she heard that. Apparently her new guests weren't strangers to violence, extreme violence, if the condition of Hanabi's arms were anything to go by. It was something to keep in the back of her mind for sure. Naruto, however, appeared to genuinely care for his two companions.

**x~X~x**

"Have you called for some medical assistance?" Miya asked Naruto as she entered the room on the second floor where she had set up for Hanabi. She had some anti-burn cream in her hands. "I'm afraid my home isn't outfit to treat injuries of this degree."

Hanabi had been laid out on a futon in the center of the room. Her shirt had been rolled up so that they could better apply medical treatment without impediment. It was then that they noticed some minor injuries on her back and stomach. At the moment damp cold towels were wrapped around her arms and hands with icepacks leaning against them to help keep them cold. Her stomach and chest were wrapped in medical tape. Naruto was kneeling beside the futon with Musubi at his side. Miya had remembered that one of her tenants had some cream that were pretty effective for burns and had gone to get them for Hanabi.

Naruto just shook his head negatively as he gazed down at his beloved. "My phone is destroyed, I don't know where Hanabi's is, and even if I did have a phone I can't call the emergency line. MBI has all emergency requests rerouted to locations of their choosing and I don't trust that man." Naruto clenched his fist tightly as he remembered Minaka's introduction. "Anyone that treats people's lives as if they're nothing more than pawns in a game is trash and scum and I want nothing to do with them."

Naruto didn't want Minaka anywhere near Hanabi. MBI had be far too curious about her the first time she had been in their care, and at the time she'd been nothing more than a civilian with some unique properties. What would they do when they found out she now had a Sekirei chakra core residing within her body?

There would be some questions asked and answers required that he wasn't ready to give.

Miya smiled lightly as if she understood Naruto's concern. She herself held a rather strong, dislike, of the president of MBI. Miya kneeled beside Hanabi and removed the cloths from her arms. She was careful in applying the burn cream, rubbing it lightly, but firmly, so as to not cause any more damage to the arms.

A loud yawn drew Naruto's attention to the door. "Do we have guests Miya?" There standing in the frame looking into the room with bleary eyes was another beautiful buxom brunette who looked as if she had just awoken from a very nice nap. She wasn't wearing very much either, just a skimpy pair of white panties and a pink nightgown that went over her shoulders and covered her breasts before fanning out to either side.

Naruto would have taken some mental pictures and admired the sight if he didn't have more pressing concerns. As it is he just shook his head and looked at Miya, "Do people here normally walk around in such a state of undress?" Naruto asked curiously. If so he was DEFINITELY going to see if there were any spare rooms here that he was allowed to rent. Between the woman at the door and the landlady, it appeared as if this place was a breeding ground for beautiful women.

Miya turned to the woman at the door. "Uzume, how many times have I told you not to walk around here like that?" Miya chided the woman.

"What are you talking about? At least I have my panties this time."

Okay, that sealed the deal. Naruto was getting a place here if he had to beg Miya on his hands and knees. The Jiraiya in him wouldn't let him go anywhere else even if he had wanted to.

Uzume padded into the room and stopped just behind Miya, "Uwaa, she doesn't look too good bro." Uzume commented as she took notice of Hanabi's condition. "What happened to her?"

Naruto sighed and looked down at Hanabi's face, "I don't know, she's been unconscious since she's arrived." A sad smile crossed his face. He really didn't like seeing any of his precious people hurt.

Unknown to Naruto Miya glanced up at Uzume and gave her a pointed look. Uzume cringed for a moment before sighing dejectedly, her arms hanging limp at her sides. One just didn't say no when Miya asked something of you.

"Hey bro, I know a good hospital that can take care of her." Uzume said finally after resigning herself. It wasn't that she was naturally distrustful of strangers, it was more that she didn't want anyone to know about a certain someone at the Hospital.

Naruto grimaced, "I'd rather avoid Hospitals, I don't trust MBI."

Uzume grinned and slapped Naruto on the back almost bowling him over from the unexpected move. "Then you shouldn't have a problem here! It's not owned by MBI. It's doesn't have all their fancy gadgets but it's rated as one of the top Hospitals in Japan behind MBI controlled ones."

Naruto looked up at Uzume, a hopeful smile on his face. "Really? I'm still relatively new to this area so I didn't know that there were any non-MBI owned Hospitals!" Naruto said, relief evident in his voice. He wasn't a fool, he knew that without 'real' medical attention the chances of Hanabi retaining use of her hands was minimal at best. But to put her back in the hands of MBI would have been consigning her to a fate far worse.

Uzume grinned back in response, "You betcha!"

"Isn't that great Naruto-sama?" Musubi said cheerfully as she hugged Naruto tightly. "Hanabi can get better now! She said she'd teach me how to make sex and I'm really excited!"

Naruto choked and coughed for a moment. Musubi sounded so earnest and excited. Uzume raised a curious eyebrow at Naruto as a small smile graced her face, she looked as if she was about to burst out laughing. Miya however had closed both her eyes and tilted her head to the side. Her smile looked as if she was second guessing her decision to help Naruto and Hanabi.

"Ah-ha... I don't think those were the exact words Hanabi used..." Naruto said embarrassed, sometimes Musubi said that wrong things at the worst times. "I believe she said she'd explain to you much later what it was since you didn't know."

Musubi pounded her fist into the other hand, "Ya, Musubi remembers that from the night before." Musubi nodded as she adopted a thoughtful pose. Naruto couldn't be find it endearing. Everything Musubi did had such an element of innocence to it that you couldn't help but be moved by it. "But the next morning she promised to teach me how to prepare a meatsickle just right for eating." Uzume started laughing out loud as if she found the Naruto's predicament incredibly amusing.

Naruto blanched that was NOT something Musubi should know anything about right now. What the hell was Hanabi trying to teach Musubi? She must have still been on her sexual high from the night before.

"Musubi doesn't know what kind of food Sex is but it's really starting to sound tastier and tastier by the moment so she's getting excited. Hanabi seemed so good at making breakfast, it was very tasty, so she must be great at making sex too." Uzume just started laughing harder.

Naruto didn't know what to do he just flopped backwards and stared up at the ceiling with a sense of hopelessness. Every word that came from Musubi's mouth just seemed to be digging him a deeper grave. It was strange really, he had the distinct feeling he was in a car driving head on into an accident and couldn't avoid it.

"Uzumaki-san..." Miya said in a voice that sounded far too sweet to be sincere. "What have you and Hanabi-san been teaching little Musubi over here?" She asked in a light tone. Naruto wasn't fooled for an instant. When females adopted that tone it usually meant the nearest male was gonna get hurt, badly. It didn't help that Uzume had suddenly stopped laughing.

And unfortunately he was the only male in the Inn at the time. "I haven't been teaching her anything. I thought it'd be a good idea to let a female teach a female." Naruto muttered as he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. "Maybe I was mistaken?"

"Ufufufu..." Miya laughed creepily as she held a hand to her mouth, "Obviously I can't leave Musubi alone in the hands of you two beasts. Musubi will stay here while you take Hanabi to the Hospital." She said in a tone that broke no argument. Naruto knew better than to argue this point. He had tried it once in the past with TenTen when she had adopted that tone.

He still had the scars to prove that had been a bad idea, right beside the ones Temari had made.

"Does that mean the Landlady will teach me what sex is?" Naruto thought he could hear the sound of glass cracking, he desperately kept his eyes closed and started pray to the Ramen God and the Log as fiercely as possible. If anyone could save him it'd be those two.

"A young lady like you shouldn't be saying that word lightly." Miya said with a smile that didn't look or feel like any smile. An aura began to appear around her, dark and menacing.

"Oh..." Musubi looked downcast for a moment before cheering up. "What about a threesome? Hanabi said that was even better than sex!"

Uzume couldn't help herself anymore, she burst out into laughter for a moment before she saw Miya's face. The laughter cut off as quickly as it had started.

Naruto's danger senses were tingling. This wasn't good. He had to run, now.

_No time to be day dreaming kit, get your ass in gear and get out of here!_ Kurama felt it as well, he knew full well how dangerous the righteous feminine fury could be.

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up. He needed to do something quick, anything, to diffuse the situation. He turned to Musubi who seemed to be oblivious as to what was going on, still looking at the landlady as if expecting her question to be answered.

Naruto gently placed his hands on Musubi's shoulders and gazed into her eyes. He adopted the most serious expression Musubi had ever seen on him. Naruto had to phrase this carefully, very carefully. A single mistake here could mean the difference between life and death. He was no stranger to these kinds of situations having lived with them daily back in the Elemental Nations. When you lived around many powerful Kunoichi's there was always something you said that angered one of them. This was the perfect strategy he had adopted for those situations. A sure-fire solution that only he could come up with and pull off.

"Musubi, listen to me very carefully." Naruto said slowly, stressing every word. Musubi smiled up at Naruto and nodded vigorously. Even Uzume and Miya leaned in a little, curious as to what Naruto was going to say.

"A threesome is when three people eat sex together."

It was perfect.

"Oohhh! I get it now!" Musubi said as clarity dawned in her eyes; followed an instant later by confusion as she brought a finger up to her cheek and tilted her head cutely. "I still don't know what sex is though."

The cracking glass that Naruto had heard earlier shattered. Uzume was aghast, she was struggling hard trying to determine if she should fall over laughing or run in fear of Miya. Miya had a frightening expression on her face. She looked normal for the most part, a smile on her lips, close eyes upturned as if they were smiling, her head tilted cutely and a powerful dark purple aura hovering around her that caused her hair started wave gently like they were being brushed by a gentle breeze.

Naruto looked over at Uzume and just shrugged. "What? If the grave is already dug I might as well jump in and make myself comfortable." Naruto answered the unspoken question as if it was the most logical thing ever.

I mean, whoever heard of a man escaping the righteous feminine fury? It had never happened in the history of mankind. And it certainly wasn't going to happen now. Might as well enjoy the ride to hell.

"How very gracious of you Uzumaki-san." Miya whispered lightly. Naruto shivered, the arctic lands of the Land of Snow felt warmer than her voice did right now. He heard the rustling sound as Miya slowly stood up and he refused to look still hoping against hope that what he didn't see, couldn't hurt him. "If you'll just excuse me for a moment Uzumaki-san, I believe I have forgotten something I need to retrieve from downstairs." There was the sound of feet quickly carrying someone from the room.

"Uzume... how fast can you get changed?" Naruto asked curiously as he slowly picked Hanabi off the futon and cradled her close to him.

"I'm tempted to break the sound barrier."

"Please do so. Perhaps multiple sound barriers."

"I'll see what I can do."

**x~X~x**

Uzume and Naruto were both currently jumping from rooftop to rooftop as they headed eastwards towards the Hospital that Uzume knew about. Naruto would have preferred to stay out of the eastern section of the city but he had little choice. Hanabi needed help and he wasn't about the pay the price that MBI would extract from him, willingly or not. Naruto only hoped that Higa Izumi didn't take notice. That man seemed to know far too much for his own good and Naruto would hate to have to turn a quarter of the city into a smoking crater because one man tried to get his hands on Hanabi.

Uzume was now dressed in her casual clothing. She wore a pink shirt with purple sleeves and a gold star on the front along with blue jeans cut off at the knees and a pair of wooden sandals. Naruto liked this look almost as much as her previous. It hugged her form in all the right places.

"So how do you know about this Hospital Uzume? I thought MBI had full control over all of the Hospitals in the area." Naruto asked curiously. He wasn't complaining or anything but it's nice to know where the information came from.

Uzume gave a strained smile, "I have this friend, Chihio, at this Hospital. I visit her frequently so I'm well known there by many people." Naruto noticed the look in Uzume's eyes, it was obvious this person was more than just a friend to her but he held his silence. "She was admitted into the Hospital before MBI became a major player in Shinto Teito, and it's one of the few places that haven't been outright bought by that major conglomerate." Not that MBI hadn't tried but the man that owned the Hospital downright hated Minaka and MBI and refused to have any dealings with them. He didn't even care about participating in the Sekirei Plan. He simply used the Sekirei as tools to further his own agenda.

Naruto frowned, "It's good that there are a few holdouts. I hate major corporations. I've never seen a good one. For them it's all about money and power. They couldn't care about anyone but themselves."

Uzume grinned uneasily. The hospital she was taking Naruto to WAS owned by a major corporation, just not MBI. Uzume felt it was best not to tell Naruto that otherwise he may change his mind about taking Hanabi to the hospital and she didn't want to have to explain to Miya why Naruto had decided to change his mind. Uzume fished around for something to change the topic with.

"I see, I didn't know you hated major corporations so badly bro, thought it was just MBI. Anyways I have to admit, you have some serious balls man." Uzume said as she leapt across a gap between one building and the next. "I don't think I know anyone who managed to rile Miya up that easily."

"Maybe they're all just wary of the Hannya of the North." Naruto returned. He honestly hadn't known Miya was that individual. He had expected someone far more intimidating, although he supposed that aura made up for the lack of physical intimidation. He knew some pretty harmless looking people that could pump out some serious killing intent. "I honestly didn't know that was her. I probably would have chosen my words with more care if I had."

"I still can't believe she didn't kill you. She only scratched your leg once and then let you go."

"She still might kill me when I get back, but I deflected most of the anger." Naruto replied as he dodged a satellite dish and jumped over to the next building. "I've had plenty of experience dealing with powerful women with hair-trigger fuses."

"I bet there are some good stories you could tell about that." Uzume said with a laugh as she glanced over at Naruto. She had been surprised when he said he'd rather run to the Hospital than get a ride. But when he had walked up the side of that house Uzume had been genuinely surprised. Miya had been surprised as well, the last of her anger at the time seemed to have changed into curiosity.

At first Uzume thought he was a Sekirei but soon discarded that theory. He didn't feel like one in the slightest, plus if the shrine maiden was a Sekirei then that made him an Ashikabi and an Ashikabi couldn't be Sekirei.

"A few, yeah, like when Baa-chan hit me so hard I ended up in a different nation. I learned that day not to hide her booze on her. The only one she tolerates that from was her assistant Shizune." Naruto replied with a grin. It was good to relive memories of the days prior to the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Everyone had been so innocent and carefree back then. Even with the Akatsuki on the prowl everything just seemed to bright and cheerful. "I've learned that when you piss off a woman, there's no escaping, you just take it. But there are four things you can do to ease the pain."

Uzume moved in a little closer. She was actually genuinely interested in this. Being a woman herself she had always wondered about the inner workings of men. They seemed so illogical at times. "Oh? Do tell oh master of women." Uzume teased.

Naruto grinned at Uzume, he liked her, she had a fun personality. He turned back and jumped over a small house into the building past it as he started to explain, "One is to make the situation so outrageous that they can't take it seriously even if they tried." He ticked off the first method of defusing the situation. That alone wouldn't stop the issue, but it might prevent the woman from killing you outright and that was a good first step.

"The second step is to let them draw blood. They need to feel vindicated in some way and letting them draw blood is always a good way to do that. The key here is to dodge their attacks so that it only grazes you. It doesn't really matter to them how much blood they draw, only that it's drawn." He had let her draw blood when she had come swinging at him with her sword at the entrance of the Inn. He knew she wasn't serious as she was using her sheath but the shockwave she left behind was still pretty debilitating. He was also pretty certain that she was holding back a lot to prevent Hanabi from being hurt.

"The third step is to redirect some of their anger to someone else." Naruto had guessed that Miya was the Hannya of the North after she swung with the sheath of her blade. Naruto had asked her if she was the 'scary Hannya of the North' that Seo had told him about. It had redirected some of her anger towards that poor soul.

"The fourth and last step is to compliment them. Women like to hear good things about themselves." Naruto hopped onto an air conditioning unit and used it to springboard over the wall and towards the next building. Naruto had complimented Miya on her looks saying she was far more beautiful than he had assumed based on Seo's description. That was a double step whammy there, complimented her and implied that Seo had insulted her diverting yet more of her anger.

"And those are the basic steps. Exaggerate, Vindicate, Redirect and Compliment. It needs to be in that order otherwise it doesn't work as effectively. There are other props and tools you can use to amplify those four steps. Being injured, holding someone who is injured or helping someone who is injured always kicks in those maternal instincts in women. It's not always possible to have that prop or aid but when you do it works. I was lucky I had Hanabi in my arms otherwise Miya probably would have attacked me more relentlessly." Naruto finished explaining his steps to diffusing a woman. He didn't mind telling Uzume honestly. Something about her just resonated with him. Like she was a kindred spirit. There were more props that could be used but he didn't feel like mentioning them. Mystery was a very good one too. If you came across, or did something, mysterious it peaked the person's interest and they were more likely to try to figure you out than cut you in half.

"You're an amazing person you know that bro?" Uzume said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "You're probably the only person I know whose managed to rile Miya up that much and settle her down with so little of a punishment." Uzume wasn't sure what kind of people the women Naruto dealt with in the past were but she was certain that his method of diffusing the situation wouldn't work in most situations. He just got lucky that it worked with Miya.

"Like I said before, I've dealt with powerful woman with hair-trigger fuses." Naruto sighed mournfully, remembering the past always brought up the good and the bad. "I know this may sound weird but, I actually enjoyed that whole situation with Miya." Uzume gave him a queer look and Naruto just smiled at her sadly. "It reminded me of happier times when I was younger. I was always beat by angry women for one reason or another, but they did so because they cared, and because we could afford to. We... were never afforded that luxury after..." Naruto stopped speaking; he wasn't sure how much more he should say.

"Don't worry bro, I won't pressure you. We all have problems." Uzume said with a gentle smile. She had noticed the sadness in Naruto's voice, the expression of pain on his face and hurt in his eyes. There were some deep scars behind those eyes and Uzume knew better than to poke them.

Uzume glanced at Hanabi, "So is she your…?" She wanted to say Sekirei but felt it better to let Naruto mention it first.

Naruto smiled and nodded, "Ya, she's my fiancée." Completely misinterpreting what Uzume was implying. "We've been together for almost seven years now, although we never really started dating or being serious until about three years ago. We'd have been fully married by now but circumstances have sort of kept us too busy to make it official. It'll probably have to wait for this whole MBI crap to blow over."

Uzume blinked in surprise. That wasn't the answer she'd been expecting. With the exception of Miya and some of the single digits, of whom she already knew of, there shouldn't have been any Sekirei at large seven years ago. Even she had only been in the middle of getting adjusted at that time.

She jumped over an alleyway that was filled with a bit of smoke.

That could only mean that neither of them were Sekirei. That made Uzume feel better, she wasn't sure how she would have felt if another Ashikabi had their Sekirei close to her Ashikabi. It was bad enough having Higa's goons guarding the Hospital all the time. Those were predicable though. So long as she did what Higa wanted they wouldn't touch her Ashikabi.

Uzume grinned at Naruto mischievously. "I bet she's good in bed eh bro?" Naruto stumbled a bit before catching himself. A blush graced his cheeks, "Bulls-eye. She must be quite the firecracker if what she's teaching Musubi is anything to go on."

Naruto coughed as he cleared his throat, "I'm not actually sure why she said those things to Musubi. She's usually much more reserved than that. At least she was erm… Anyways it could have been because…" Naruto blushed and coughed again.

Uzume gave him a sly grin, "I gotcha bro. It's always the shy ones that are like that. Shy until you break em in and then they go wild."

Naruto had had enough it was time to fire back. He turned his head and eyed her up and down, "You can join us whenever you want. Maybe we can have a foursome?" It was mostly a joke, like his old mentor he wouldn't turn down a beautiful woman.

This time it was Uzume that nearly tripped.

"Miya was right bro, you really are a beast!" Uzume laughed as she teased Naruto.

Naruto just grinned back, "Thanks." His mood was markedly improved from what it had been. He wasn't sure if that had been Uzume's intention from the start but he was thankful for it regardless.

"You're welcome, I was a little wary of you at first but you're not that bad." Uzume replied as she flipped from one building to the next. They were nearing their destination now. "Although…" She gave Naruto a sly grin as she eyed his form, "I may take you up on that earlier offer." Uzume couldn't help but fire one last jab.

Naruto almost tripped again and had to concentrate on keeping his second head down and his feet from firmly on the ground. He knew Uzume was teasing him but the image of three bodacious naked women with him in a bed… Well it'd be hard for any man to not be aroused.

Uzume's laughter filled the air and Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously. He had that look on his face that most people came to dread. The look that everyone back in Konoha, no matter how powerful they were, no matter their feelings towards the blond, ever wanted to see. It was a look that struck fear into the hearts of men and demons alike.

The look of the Prankster Lord Uzumaki Naruto.

Oh it was on now. He was going to get her back in the worst, or best depending on whose point of view you're talking about, way possible. Uzume would rue the day she tried to one-up 'the' Uzumaki Naruto.

**x~X~x**

It hadn't taken long for Naruto to get Hanabi administered to the Hospital that Uzume had recommended. One look at her arms and hands, and a million yen later, got her admitted to one of the better stay in Hospital rooms immediately. It was one of those rooms that had most of the needs of the patient right in the room itself so that patient didn't have to go far for their needs and the Hospital staff could tend to most things in the room.

It also just so happened that it was right across from Uzume's Ashikabi.

Hanabi's arms had been scanned only a few minutes after Naruto had handed over the money. The good news was that Hanabi's arms could be restored completely; the bad news was that it was going to be a week before she could use them for simple things like holding a utensils. It would take longer still if she wanted to do anything strenuous with them.

Naruto was also beginning to realize that there wasn't anything money couldn't buy in this city. The more money you had, the more you could do. Back in the Elemental Nations, a shinobi's raw power could exert more influence than money could, or at least equal amounts. But here? Money was everything and power meant little since money could simply be used to buy more power.

Right now though he was just glad he had decided to stash some cash in the north. It certainly made it easier to move the Hospital staff to do the right thing.

"She'll be fine." A nurse said to Naruto as he gazed into the room.

Hanabi had been tucked into the bed and her arms were resting just above the sheets to avoid aggravating the burns more. He had left a message for Hanabi that only she would be able to see and interpret. He had left a message behind on the wall above the door directly across from Hanabi's bed. It was more just a few words carved into the wall with chakra but she'd be able to read the residue. When she woke up in a strange place her first instinct would be to activate her Byakugan. When she did she'd get the message.

"Thank you." Naruto bowed his head to the nurse.

"No, thank you." The nurse replied with a grin. There was a small bulge in the pocket of her nurse outfit. "If you ever need assistance, ANY assistance, just let me know. I'm sure we can work something out." She said seductively as she trailed a hand across Naruto's arm. With another grin she waved and disappeared down the hallway.

Naruto just shook his head helplessly. It seemed money really COULD buy anything here in this city. As much as he liked women, he'd never pay for one. He certainly enjoyed looking but he had much higher standards than that when it came to touching.

Naruto turned and headed into the hospital room across from Hanabi's. He could hear Uzume's voice wafting out from within describing the events that had taken place at Izumo Inn earlier in the day.

"And then he screamed like a little girl as he tried to run from Miya." Uzume was telling Chihio, eliciting a laugh from the frail girl. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying Uzume's tale.

Uzume was seated across from her Ashikabi animatedly telling Chihio about the misadventure of one Uzumaki Naruto with Asama Miya. She had such an expression of joy on her face that for a second Naruto thought it was someone else. Although he hadn't known Uzume long he had never seen her look so happy, so carefree. Uzume's Ashikabi was a young girl with long brown hair and brown eyes wearing the standard button up hospital gown for the area although hers was a shade of pink.

It was right then and there that Naruto came to realize just how important finding the right Ashikabi was for a Sekirei and just how terrible it must be to be forced into servitude with the wrong one.

Still, regardless of that Naruto saw an opportunity that he had to take. Naruto couldn't help himself; he had to do it, "Has Uzume mention yet about the time she offered to be part of a foursome with me and two others?" Naruto asked as he silently padded across the room.

Chihio's soft gasp and wide eyed look was priceless as her head whipped back and forth between Uzume and Naruto. Her hands came up to cover her open mouth. "Uzume-chan!" Chihio gasped out in shock and embarrassment.

Uzume's jaw dropped open as she looked over at Naruto, "Damnit bro! I didn't say that." Uzume shot out and quickly turned back to her Ashikabi, "Don't listen to him, Miya calls him a beast because he is one. I'd never betray you! He's an animal, a beast, he tried to tempt me away from you on the way over here!" Uzume said quickly as she tried to explain the situation to Chihio.

"But you said that you'd bring your friend in the Hospital along with you if I brought Hanabi." Naruto lied through his teeth; he was going to milk this for all it was worth. Chihio's eyes widened even more, Naruto wasn't sure how she managed that considering how wide they were before, and her face flushed in deeply with embarrassment at the implications.

Uzume looked absolutely mortified, "Damnit bro that was not what I said!" she shouted in embarrassment as well. Naruto knew he was going to enjoy teasing her more in the future. She was so fun to play around with.

"Um, what did you say Uzume-chan?" Chihio asked curiously.

"I said 'I may take'… no wait… damnit." Uzume glared at Naruto in mock fury, "I hate you bro."

Naruto just laughed. No one tried to one-up 'the' Uzumaki Naruto. He wasn't done with Uzume yet, but this was a good start. Chihio started to laugh as well; it was a pleasant sound to hear. Uzume just looked at her Ashikabi helplessly for a moment and sighed before she started to laugh as well. Uzume couldn't come to dislike anything that made her Chihio laugh and smile.

The three of them continued to converse well into the evening when Naruto and Uzume had to leave.

**x~X~x**

It was dark by the time Uzume and Naruto had returned to Izumo Maison. They had spent most of the journey back in silence, simply enjoying the early evening air. Shinto Teito seemed deceptively peaceful at night, especially when one was jumping from building to building high above what little hustle and bustle was going on at night on the streets.

It was on a night like this that he and Hanabi had encountered their first Sekirei: No. 84 Yashima. It hadn't ended well for that Sekirei and her Ashikabi. Naruto was with another Sekirei tonight as they jumped from building to building back to Izumo Maison. This time however they weren't trying to kill each other. They were simply enjoying each other's company and the nice night.

Naruto knew that Uzume was a Sekirei, he could sense the large amount of chakra within her. It seemed with the exception of himself and Hanabi only Sekirei had a noticeable amount of chakra. If he concentrated he could pick them out at a distance.

Naruto felt he could use more nights like this, peaceful ones that weren't full of pain and sorrow.

It wasn't until they had nearly returned that Uzume decided to break the comfortable silence between them. "You know bro, I've been meaning to ask. You're obviously not a Sekirei, so how are you able to do all these super human feats like walking up a wall and jumping from one building to the next as easily as any Sekirei?" Uzume asked. It baffled her that anyone other than a Sekirei could do what he could. I mean, whoever heard of a human being able to do those kinds of things?

Naruto just grinned and wiggled his fingers in the air, "I'm a shinobi! Nin! Nin!" He replied with a grin.

Uzume chuckled as she shook her head in helplessness, "You just can't be serious can ya?" She said in a tone that indicated she was just going to resign herself to the fact that Naruto wasn't going to be serious with her.

Naruto shrugged, "If you don't take the time to enjoy life, when will you? Regardless it's not that I'm special or anything that allows me to do this." Naruto answered finally, a little truth here wouldn't hurt, "I have met several other people since I arrived in Shinto Teito that could do this if they had the proper mentor when they were younger. Unfortunately it's much too late for any of them to start now. All it really takes is an early start, a good mentor and couple it with a little time and effort and presto, a wall-walking, building-hopping, shinobi!"

Hanabi had confirmed what his senses had told him earlier; there were basically three types of individuals in Shinto Teito. Sekirei being the easiest to detect with their chakra cores. Even Naruto could sense them from a distance away if he was actively looking for them. The other two Naruto hadn't noticed until Hanabi had pointed it out while they were on the way to the mall. There were those that had the potential to utilize chakra and those that didn't. Both had the same amount of chakra flowing through their coils, just barely enough to survive, but the difference was that some individuals had the ability, or at least used to, to develop their coils into something more that could handle shinobi techniques while the others could not.

Naruto and Hanabi hadn't figured out exactly what that had meant yet but if Naruto had to guess then those that could develop their coils into something more were probably Ashikabi candidates.

That conversation ended as the two arrived at Izumo Maison and walked in. Musubi must have sensed him coming since she bounced around the corner of the Inn and rushed over to greet Naruto.

"Naruto-sama! Guess what!" Musubi shouted cheerfully as she stopped before Naruto. She looked like she'd been in a fight. Her face was dirty and streaked with mud, her clothes were ripped in several places and she looked like she had just ran a marathon, "The landlady has been sparring with me!"

Naruto patted Musubi on the head, "That's great, what did you learn?"

"That Landlady-sama hits really hard and doesn't like it when I say sex!" A stone smacked off the side of Musubi's head. "Itai! That hurts!" Musubi pouted as she glanced over at Miya as she rounded the corner at a much more sedated pace than Musubi.

"What did I just finish teaching you Musubi-chan?" Miya said with a gentle smile on her face that promised more pain if she answered incorrectly.

"Not to speak of..." Miya raised the sheath of her sword and Musubi cringed a little. "That stuff again!"

A sweat drop just rolled down the back of Naruto's head as he watched the scene unfold before him. Uzume seemed to be enjoying herself as she held a snicker back with her hand covering her mouth.

Miya smiled at Musubi and turned her attention to Naruto and Uzume. "I trust that there were no problems getting Hanabi admitted to the Hospital?"

Naruto shook his head negatively, "None at all, not at first anyways. I just waived a little money under their nose and they started to treat us like kings." Naruto replied nonchalantly. Miya and Uzume both just gave him a deadpanned look. "Oh, Miya, I saw the sign outside the Inn earlier and I was wondering if there were still any openings here." Naruto asked hopefully. He didn't have a place to stay anymore, what with the destruction of his condo, and he was certainly hoping to see more scantily clad Uzume walking around.

"I'm not going to have to protect myself and the other residents of Maison Izumo from your base, beastly desires am I?" Miya asked, half serious and half teasingly.

Naruto grinned and pulled out 50,000 yen, the price of rent for a month. "I'm sure I can control myself." Naruto handed over the rent money.

Miya smiled and accepted the payment. "Hmm, at least you're not a free loader like some I could mention." Miya gave Uzume a pointed stare causing the younger woman to cough and look away guiltily.

"So this means..." Naruto wanted confirmation.

"Yes, welcome to Izumo Maison."

* * *

**Author's Note**: I've decided to split Hanabi and Naruto up for a while. I needed to get her away from Naruto. So long as the two are together it's hard to write scenes with Naruto and his Sekirei. I need to build the relationships there and Hanabi just seemed to intrude upon it. Hanabi and Naruto already have a solid foundation and I needed to do this to help build a solid foundation elsewhere. I also need to forge Hanabi into something more than just an extension of Naruto's will. So long as she's by his side, she'll defer to him. But if she's on her own, she'll start thinking on her own.

I have no idea how old Chihio is, but judging by her size she's at least in her midteens so I'm placing her at 16/17. Canon Sekirei never really gave her an age.


	8. Chapter 7: Settling In

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Review Responses:** Alright first I want to start off by saying this. I don't mean to offend anyone but I feel this needs to be stated so that you can all enjoy my story more.

Stop assuming the characters have a 30,000 foot view of the story and don't take each chapter by itself. I don't explain why certain actions are done in detail because I'm assuming people remember what has occurred in previous chapters and can use that to deduce things from there.

The number one complaint about the last chapter was Naruto leaving Hanabi all alone at Higa's Hospital. Now let me say 4 points to try and clear things up that I thought was obvious.

1) Naruto doesn't know Higa even OWNS any hospitals so there is no way he could know that he's practically handing her to him. Major pharmaceutical companies don't usually have their own hospitals.

2) Naruto doesn't know who attack Hanabi or why. For all he knows it was MBI. Perhaps he upset a Yakuza with ties to a few Ashikabi. There is nothing to link the attack to Higa: yet.

3) Naruto can teleport to Hanabi at any time using the Hiraishin no Jutsu.

4) Hanabi can signal Naruto very easily from a distance. She did it to tell him she was headed to Alpha Point. All she needs is one word: Help, and Naruto is there instantly to kick up a shit storm. (And from what I've heard burn victims are actually encouraged to move around and use their injured limbs so that scar tissue doesn't build up and inhibit movement.)

And to be honest, Naruto doesn't have a lot of options. Ask anyone that's known anyone with severe burn wounds. They NEED to be treated otherwise you run the risk of them dying due to blood infections and other nasty shit. Naruto had to take her to a hospital and with MBI ones out of the picture he didn't have a lot of options, 1 to be precise, and no time to look for others.

These are all things that I thought were easily apparent. When analyzing why something occurred, try to look at it from the perspective of the person making the decision, not the 30,000 foot view we all have because of our inherent knowledge of the Sekirei Universe. I know it can be hard sometimes; I myself fall into that trap at times when I read other's stories.

Anyways, thanks for the Chihio vs Chiho correction, I haven't gone back and fixed it but I fixed it everywhere else in my story.

I want to tell you why Hanabi is in the hospital but I don't want to spoil anything. There will be a confrontation with Higa, everyone can pretty much see that, but I can't say anything more about Hanabi's situation without spoiling things. However I don't plan on forgetting her.

Miya sneaking up on Naruto, people may have issues with that but it's not a knock at Naruto's abilities. It's a play on Miya being Miya. In Sekirei she always seems to be there at just the wrong time. It's one of the characteristics that define her. And it's one of the characteristics that she will keep in my story. No matter how good Naruto and Hanabi become, she will always be able to sneak up on them, but of course only when they're on the verge of breaking one of her rules ^_^.

**Chapter 7: Settling In**

Naruto woke as the first rays of dawn started to filter through the window of the room. There was a pleasant sensation pressing against his left side and his arm felt like it was being sandwiched between two warm, large marshmallows. Naruto opened his eyes and groaned as the rays of light danced across his vision. He waved his free arm in front of him as if to brush away the annoyance.

He turned his head and noticed that Musubi had crawled into his futon some time during the night and was now hugging his arm tightly between her exposed breasts. His hand had somehow gotten trapped between her legs in the process placing his fingers in an interesting, and slightly moist, location. Musubi's hands were lightly resting on his chest.

Musubi was once again dressed solely in a pair of modest white panties having nothing more to wear. All of the clothing that they had left was either sealed on their person or so much ash drifting on the wind. Not that Naruto cared very much. Musubi was a very beautiful woman and Naruto could definitely appreciate a beautiful woman, especially ones with massive breasts.

Naruto glanced around the room quickly. There wasn't a whole lot in it at the moment. Just two futons with a single pillow each that Miya had been generous enough to lend them along with a small dresser for clothing. Aside from that the room was entirely barren. Naruto silently mused that between Musubi's need for proper sleepwear and their lack of anything remotely resembling luxury he and Musubi were definitely going to need to go shopping.

It shouldn't be too bad, he hoped.

A smell wafted in through the cracks in the door causing Naruto to take notice and sniff the air more intently. That was definitely the smell of something very delicious being cooked. Naruto's stomach growled and he realized he hadn't eaten anything the night before. That was definitely something he intended to rectify with that delicious smelling, whatever it was, coming from downstairs.

But first he had to wake up Musubi.

"Musubi, it's time to wake up." Naurto said as he softly poked Musubi's cheek. There was another reason he wanted to wake Musubi up. If Miya saw them cuddled like this there would be hell to pay, especially since he wasn't entirely sure if the dampness he felt was sweat or something else and he didn't think Miya would care either way.

"Munya?" Musubi mumbled drowsily as she slowly started to wake up. She brought her hands to her eyes and began to rub the sleepiness out of them as she yawned widely. It was an absolutely adorable sight and Naruto couldn't help but smile at it. Despite her fully developed and gorgeous body, it was like Hanabi had said earlier; she really did seem like a child in an adult's body. It made Naruto feel a little guilty about some of his perverted thoughts. Just a little.

Naruto extracted his arm from its confinement, eliciting a small gasp from Musubi, and sat up. The girl's eyes widened in surprise and her breath quickened a little. There was definitely a faint blush on her cheeks that made Naruto feel just a little bit uncomfortable and guilty. Musubi probably had no idea why she felt the way she did.

He also seriously hoped his fingers hadn't done too much wandering or fidgeting while he was sleeping. He doubted Musubi would even understand what it was he had been unconsciously doing. With a groan Naruto stretched his arms back behind him to work the kinks out noticing with his keen nose that as he did so that the dampness had most definitely not been sweat, and there was far more on his fingers than he would have liked.

"Good morning Musubi, did you sleep well?" Naruto wanted to change the direction of his thoughts towards something else, something less erotic than his accidental foreplay with a girl who had no idea what foreplay was.

Musubi righted herself into a kneeling position beside Naruto, "Yes Naruto-sama! Musubi had the most amazing dreams of Naruto-sama and I felt incredibly wonderful." She said cheerfully. Suddenly a look of curiosity crossed the young Sekirei's face, "But Naruto-sama, what were you doing with your fingers last night? It felt weird but good to have them inside me and then this heat started to build up."

Naruto swallowed hard. This wasn't really something he wanted to cover right now, especially considering Miya could walk in on a half-naked Musubi at any time. It was also something he was trying to divert Musubi's attention away from. "Don't worry about it and you may want to keep what happened to yourself, it'll be our secret!" Naruto answered quickly, he didn't want Musubi asking too many questions, and he most certainly didn't want her asking others.

"But why Naruto-sama? It felt really good, if this is the way all Ashikabi make their Sekirei feel then it should be encouraged!" Musubi cupped her generous breasts in her hands and squeezed them gently. Naruto became instantly hard at the sight and he groaned mentally. Apparently his body really didn't care how immature Musubi was. "I could feel your love inside me last night!"

Naruto was pretty sure that wasn't 'love' that Musubi felt inside her but he really didn't feel like bursting the poor girl's bubble so soon. He needed to change the subject quickly and another whiff of the air gave him the perfect solution. "What an Ashikabi and their Sekirei do is up to them, that's what Minaka said correct? Anyways you should go take a bath and clean up. I can smell Miya cooking breakfast downstairs."

Musubi began sniffing the air like a dog, her eyes lit up in excitement and her stomach growled loudly, "Food!" Musubi shouted excitedly as she jumped to her feet. She quickly grabbed her clothes and ran out the door. Musubi had a very one-track mind and food was a very good way to derail her from her current thoughts.

Naruto grinned at the sight. Food seemed to be able to distract Musubi from just about anything. All one had to do was mention it and she'd forget the earlier conversation like it had never happened.

Naruto himself took a little longer to get ready. He could have followed quickly after Musubi but he wasn't in any rush. It wasn't like he was in the Elemental Nations where every moment counted, he could savor things now. And despite all the trouble that has arisen recently, they all seemed disconnected one-offs instead of a prelude to some sort of impending doom.

At least he hoped they weren't connected.

He met Uzume in the hallway sleepily rubbing her eyes much like Musubi had earlier. "Hey bro." Uzume greeted Naruto with a little wave as she covered a yawn with her other hand.

Naruto looked Uzume up and down and grinned appreciatively, "Good morning Uzume, but you may want to get dressed before going downstairs." Naruto gestured to Uzume's clothing, or lack-there-of. "Miya may get upset and as she so fondly reminds me I may not be able to control my beastly desires."

"Hmmm? I'm heading to the bath…" Uzume trailed off; she had a confused look on her face as she regarded Naruto. Then her eyes began to follow his eyes down. "Crap." She said with a blush as she turned and ran back into her room.

Naruto just chuckled and shook his head from side to side as he turned and headed towards the staircase. Ah yes, getting a room here was definitely the best idea he'd ever had. If Jiraiya were here he'd have pumped out a novel by now already.

If he survived Miya that is.

Speaking of novels though, that could be a good way to solve his financial problems for a long time to come.

Just as Naruto was about to turn the corner and head down the stairs to the dining area he paused for a moment and look to his left. A confused look crossed his face for a moment before a small smile creased his face.

_A secret room is it? Well whoever he/she is they didn't feel dangerous, I don't sense any killing or malicious intent. Only… arousal?_ Naruto chuckled and headed down stairs. If one of the residents of Izumo Maison was hiding then who was he to question it? He'd be a hypocrite if he did.

_Smells like a female version of that old toad sensei of yours._ Kurama chimed in. Naruto knew that while Kurama could only smell what he smelt, his tenant was far better at analyzing said scents.

_That's a scary thought_

The dining room at Izumo Inn doubled as a living room, although it was rather sparse regardless of its designation. There was a large, low rectangular wooden table in the center of the room with cushions placed at regular intervals around the table and at the far side of the room was a flat screen television on a TV stand. The TV itself was on, turned to one of the many news channels. There wasn't very much to the room beyond that although it appeared to be somewhat of a Nexus in the house with connections to the entrance, kitchen, and both the upstairs and downstairs rooms.

The room was empty at the moment, Miya was still in the kitchen cooking breakfast, so Naruto decided to get a bit of fresh air. It was a good way to wake up after all, right next to having a bucket of frigid water dumped on your face by a sadistic sensei.

Naruto blinked as he let his eyes adjust to the change in light. It was bright outside; there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It looked as if today would be a nice day weather wise.

He had been outside for maybe five minutes before the sound of shattering glass and buckling wood piercing the calm morning air. Naruto looked up just in time to appreciate the fine figure of Uzume leaping from the window to the top of the wall that ringed Izumo Inn. Her towel slipped giving Naruto a second eyeful, this time of her chest, before she was able to wrap her towel around herself again.

"Hey bro, you're Musubi's Ashikabi right?" Naruto nodded, trying to figure out why Uzume was asking the obvious.

She jumped off the wall and landed beside him. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts tightly up against his side. One of her legs wrapped around his, "I don't want to fight! So can you please stop her?" Uzume asked.

Right now, with the way Uzume was pressing herself against him, if she had asked him to hand the world to her he'd ask her what kind of platter she'd like it on.

Musubi poked her head out of the broken window. "Ah! Please get away from my Naruto-sama!" Musubi shouted as she leapt from the window.

"Now now girls, I know you both want a piece of this. There's plenty to go around, no need to fight." Naruto said with a lascivious grin. He could almost picture his old sensei up in Heaven giving him a thumbs up right about now.

Musubi didn't appear to have heard him. "Please get away… FROM MY NARUTO-SAMA!" Musubi yelled as she raised her fist and lashed out at Uzume.

There was a loud clang as Miya intercepted the blow with a pot lid. She whirled her ladle around her hand twice before she lashed out twice in rapid succession smacking both Uzume and Musubi in the head.

"I won't tolerate you young ladies running around half naked." Miya said sternly as she lectured both Uzume and Musubi. A dark aura began to appear around Miya, "Am I clear?"

Both Uzume and Musubi quickly agreed. Miya closed her eyes and smiled at them. She waved her ladle back towards the house, "The food's almost ready, please go get dressed ladies."

**x~X~x**

Naruto had spent the rest of the time before breakfast outside sitting on the veranda enjoying the nice morning. Musubi and Uzume had both been quick to dart inside to go get dressed.

When Miya called out to him on the veranda he slowly stood and made his way back into the house. When he got inside he found Musubi already kneeling at the table waiting for the food to be served. Her eyes showed an eager expression and Naruto could swear he saw drool dripping from his Sekirei's mouth. Naruto made a mental note to check Musubi in the future to see if there was a black hole forming in her stomach since she always seemed to be hungry regardless of how much she'd eaten.

Although in this case he supposed it could be forgiven considering how hectic the day before had been. He had assumed Miya had fed Musubi after he and Uzume had left but he couldn't be sure.

Judging by the sounds coming from the kitchen Miya was probably still in there finishing up breakfast for the residents of Izumo Inn. Naruto couldn't quite place what he smelt but it certainly smelled good and decided to go sit beside Musubi.

It was then that Naruto was introduced to the final member of Izumo Inn. Just as he was settling down on a cushion beside his Sekirei a white haired, black eyed man walked into the room. He stopped for a second and stared at Naruto as if startled to see him there. Naruto noticed that his eyes darted around the room as if looking for someone before they came to rest back on Naruto. An easy care-free smile creased his face as he walked forward.

"I see we have a couple new residents." The man said in a polite tone. He seemed to be wearing a pair of basic black jeans and a button up collared white shirt. "I'm Kagari, one of the residents of Izumo Inn." Kagari extended a hand out to Naruto.

Naruto smiled in return and clasped his hand, "Nice to meet you Kagari, I'm Naruto Uzumaki." The handshake was broken and Naruto turned his head to indicate Musubi, "And this energetic girl beside me is Musubi."

"It's nice to meet you as well." Kagari greeted Naruto's Sekirei. Naruto noticed a hint of confusion in his eyes almost as if Kagari had been confused to see Musubi there. It was quickly gone as it was replaced with genuine cheer.

"Hello Kagari-san. It's nice to meet you." Musubi beamed a smile at the guy.

"Will you be staying for breakfast this morning?" A new voice called out as Miya entered the room carrying a large pot of something very tasty smelling. Naruto still couldn't place what it was but at the moment he didn't particularly cared. After nearly twenty four hours of nothing to eat he was willing to eat anything.

Musubi seemed to be even more excited than he was. Her head had whipped around so quickly Naruto was worried she may have gotten whiplash and the way she clenched her utensils and how intently she was staring at the pot was anything to go by it was like she was trying to will the food into her stomach.

Kagari nodded his head towards Miya and headed for one of the cushions, "I think I will today. I don't have anywhere I need to be at the moment."

Miya sat at the end of the table and placed the pot of warm breakfast in the center. "Please, help yourself." She said as she placed a soup spoon into the pot. Now that Naruto could get a good look at it, it looked like porridge but it smelled far different, and far better, than anything he was used to.

"Oh that smells good!" Uzume said as she jogged down the stairs. She was now clothed in the same casual clothing she had worn the night before.

"I see you remembered your clothing this time." Naruto said with a grin as he poured himself some breakfast.

Uzume blushed as she walked over to her place at the table, "Oh, what's this?" Miya asked curiously. She knew of the little altercation outside but Uzume hadn't been embarrassed enough by that to blush.

"Damnit bro." Uzume hissed at Naruto before she turned to Miya and waved her hands in surrender. "It's nothing Miya, just some sleepy forgetfulness. It's all taken care of."

Miya just placed a hand on her cheek and sighed, "Oh dear, what will a poor widow like me do surrounded by such debauchery." Miya said sorrowfully. No one believed for a moment that she was serious.

They all grabbed a bowl full of food and began to eat. It was and oddly quiet meal.

Naruto frowned as the noise from the television suddenly caught his attention. He put down his utensils and turned to the TV. He had basically tuned it out but something interesting caught his attention. There was a news reporter out on the streets video tapping one of the bridges that lead out of Shinto Teito. Normally this wouldn't have garnered his attention but the fact the bridge appeared to be blockaded and everything travelling across it was being searched thoroughly caught his attention. As did what the reporter had been talking about.

"Is there something wrong Uzumaki-san?" Miya asked curiously as she noticed Naruto staring at the television intently. The other Sekirei in the room stopped eating as well and looked up to regard Naruto. Musubi being Musubi just kept on eating.

"MBI just bought the city." Naruto growled softly as his gaze morphed into a glare. "I've seen this happen before. I've seen what happens when a single powerful corporation dominates an entire area. It's never ended well for the regular people." The bones in Naruto's hands creaked as he clenched his fists tightly. "What's worse is he is strangling the city by deciding what comes in and what goes out." Naruto despised major corporations that used their money, power, and influence to force their way in other people's lives, usually for the worse.

Memories of Gato and his company controlling the Wave Country with his wealth surfaced bringing back painful memories of his young. He had seen this happen elsewhere as well. When the shinobi villages started to fall, the powerful corporations began to rise. It had happened with Iganami in Iwa when the powerful mining magnate had bought out the Daimyo's guards and suffocated the nation, without ninjas there was no counter-force the Daimyo could employ. A larger version of Wave Country happened in Kiri when most the main continent had been reduced to ashes by Madara. All the outlying islands and villages were cut off and became dominated by Gato's successor.

Miya and Kagari exchanged concerned glances. Naruto had a feeling that they knew what was going on, and why it was occurring. The only thing that had stopped Naruto from demanding an answer from them is that they both looked just as concerned as he felt.

Musubi placed a hand on Naruto's arm and gave him a concerned look, "Naruto-sama? Are you alright?" She asked, concern evident in her voice and posture. A Sekirei could feel everything their Ashikabi could and right now it was leaving a very unpleasant feeling inside of Musubi. Sadness, Remorse, Guilt and Anger all raged around inside Naruto and he could tell that it made her uncomfortable.

Naruto tore his eyes away from the television and tuned it out. He took a long, deep, shuddering breath as he calmed himself down. He didn't want to upset Musubi. He turned and smiled at her, "Ya, I'll be alright, thanks."

Musubi beamed at Naruto, "It's alright Naruto-sama! You don't have to worry about anything; I'll protect you forever and ever!" She declared in her usual happy bubbly self. Naruto couldn't help but grin in return. Something about the Sekirei beside him just brought happier feelings.

Miya gave the television one last long look before she turned her attention to the newest residents of Izumo Inn. "Now Musubi, Uzumaki-san." Naruto winced, she still hadn't forgiven him for the night before, "In light of what happened this morning I feel that I must mention that there are some rules that must be obeyed while you live here."

"Of course." Naruto said in a hurry. He certainly didn't want to upset the landlady any worse than he already had.

Miya took note of his quick acceptance and noted it down as a good sign and continued on with a small smile. "First, there will be no violence here at Izumo Inn."

"I can accept that." Naruto said with a grin. He really was looking for some rest and relaxation. Things had just been crazy since he and Hanabi had arrived. Even the first two months had been a major whirlwind of activity as they got used to their new environment. "What about training things like sparring? I heard that you and Musubi did some training last night."

"That's fine but nothing excessive. Now for the second rule is that there will be now lewd activities here either." Ouch, that was going to hurt. It was alright for now but once Hanabi was healed and returned. Well he could figure that out when the time came. He'd rather have Hanabi fight it out with Miya.

"What's 'lewd'?" Musubi asked as she gave Naruto a questioning look.

Crap, Naruto's shinobi senses were tingling. He knew that a wrong answer here could spell doom. Miya was looking at him with an expectant look, waiting for how he would respond. Uzume had a huge grin on her face as well. Naruto coughed and cleared his throat before he took a deep breath. "A lewd act is when someone does something that is related to…" Naruto stopped, he couldn't say sex. Musubi still thought it was a food. Damn the girl had the worst gaps in her vocabulary. He tried a different approach, sex was taboo and he wasn't going to go over that line again. "That is, it's something that occurs when one person does something physical to another that makes them feel very good."

"Oh! So like what you were doing to me with your fingers this…" Naruto quickly clamped a hand over Musubi's mouth. Naruto should have realized, with Musubi there is no line, it's a giant squiggle that seems to twist and turn wherever it feels like.

Dead silence reigned and the temperature started to drop drastically.

Crap, too late, he was so going to pay for this one. Naruto wondered idly if there was some way he could be put in the room beside Hanabi after Miya was done with him.

A dark aura began to manifest around Miya as her hair began to sway upon a non-existent breeze. Her eyes were stilled closed and she still had that small smile on her face but for some reason they both seemed to take on a much more sinister appearance.

Uzume hugged her arms around her knees and began rocking back and forth. "Oh god bro, what have you done, it's going to appear!"

"Now, now Miya, you can hardly expect the two of them to know about the rules before you explain them." Kagari tried to calm Miya down as he subtly began back away from the irate woman.

This did not bode well for Naruto. He didn't know what was going to happen but judging from the reaction of his fellow housemates, it wasn't going to be good.

And then it began to appear, Naruto didn't know what it was but something began to creep out from behind Miya's head. "Uzumaki-san, lewd acts within Izumo Inn are strictly…" Miya's smile widened almost imperceptibly, "Proh-"

A black blur shot past Miya's head and stabbed into the wall behind her. Naruto's hand and arm were stretched out towards Miya as if he had just thrown a projectile. His eyes were wide and his breath had started to become a little more labored.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto demanded as he stared at what it was he had pinned to the wall behind Miya. It appeared to be a purple mask of demonic visage. It still had a dark purple and black aura hovering around it although it appeared to be twitching? The kunai he had summoned from a seal on his wrist was stilled embedded in the wall where it had pinned the demonic mask. He had enhanced it with a little bit of wind chakra just in case.

Uzume's jaw had hit the floor and her eyes were bulging out of their sockets as she stared at the scene before her. She was completely speechless. She could only gape helplessly as she witnessed the impossible.

Kagari on the other hand looked like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. Someone had defied Miya, they had defied Miya in her own household, they had… Kagari looked as if he was about to consider throwing all his manly pride out the window and run screaming from the room.

A tiny bit of color began to gently float through the air. Everyone's eyes were drawn to it. A single, long strand of beautiful purple hair gently floated in the breeze. It was perfect in every way, with one sole exception. One end had been cut. Everything else seemed to freeze in those few moments as the strand of hair gracefully danced in the air.

Naruto couldn't help but admire the situation, much like one would admire the calm before the storm.

And with an audible thud the strand landed gently on the table. Or maybe the thud was the sound of Naruto's own heart giving up and going on vacation having had enough of the stupid blond it was in. Naruto felt that it could as just as easily been either or.

No one spoke, no one looked away from the single strand of hair, no one made even a single twitch as if to do so would be to unleash the full fury of the storm that was held back by that single strand.

Naruto began to pray inside his head, _My Almighty Lord the Log, Please let this be a Genjutsu, My Almighty Lord Ramen, Please let this be a Genjutsu._

Musubi sneezed and the strand of hair was blown away.

A massive oppressive dark purple and black aura erupted from Miya as her hair began to wave furiously in the air. Miya brought he hand up to her mouth and began chuckling. It wasn't one of those nice chuckles; it was one of those dark creepy chuckles that usually signalled the beginning of some unspeakable torment. She still had her eyes closed with the dark smile on her face and that only made the whole visage even worse.

Naruto swallowed hard. This was bad, this was very bad. Temari had looked very much the same when he had mentioned her weight. That was NOT an experience he wanted to go through a second time.

Naruto desperately searched around for any sort of help and found nothing. He couldn't bail and leave Musubi there. The poor girl was hiding behind Naruto, clinging to him desperately as she shook with fear. Uzume looked like she was about to hyperventilate and Kagari was literally trying to climb the walls. That left only a single source.

_Kurama, help!_

_Oh HELL no, last time I helped you out in this situation Temari threw me into a mountain range. I'm STILL missing a patch of fur on my fifth tail due to that. You're on your own. _

_Oh come on! Please! She'll kill me!_ Naruto begged for help, Kurama was his last and only hope.

_No way, if you die then you die; however I refuse to reform at a later date with TWO bald spots on my tails._

_Damnit_, Kurama had abandoned him in his darkest hour.

Naruto swallowed hard as the darkness increased and began to envelop everything in the room. It was no longer an aura that seemed to seep from Miya. It was an all-encompassing dominion that was reminiscent of Shikamaru's abilities.

Then 'they' began to appear.

The mask that Naruto had pinned to the wall had friends, a lot of friends. They began to appear everywhere. A dozen appeared around Miya their demonic visage suffocated everything. Some began to peek out from beneath the table while others began to peek around the edges of the door frame.

Naruto could have sworn he heard a shriek come from above him but he dismissed it, a little too preoccupied with his own impending doom to pay attention.

And then the masks started to bleed through the walls. Blood dripping from their eyes and mouths. The walls themselves began to take on a reddish hue. Kagari shrieked like a girl and jumped back from the wall.

"Oh God bro, why, why did you do it. We're all dead." Uzume barely managed to force out in terror. Her entire body shook and quivered in terror. It oddly reminded Naruto of when he had watched a single leaf hold on with all its might to a tree branch as a storm tried to rip it from its perch.

And then mercifully, she fainted.

_Kurama..._ Naruto called out, _I'm dead aren't I?_

_Yes kit, yes you are. Despite some of the bone-headed manoeuvres you've done over the course of your life and the trouble you've gotten me into, it was enjoyable. I'll miss you._

Naruto nodded to himself as he settled into the saiza position. He bent low as he pressed his head to the ground before Miya, "I know this is too late, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry." Remorse evident in his voice as he said farewell to Hanabi and Musubi and accepted his fate. There was no getting out of this one.

"Far too late Uzumaki-san. Far too late." Miya said with a demonic grin as she summoned her sword from seemingly thin air and grabbed it with her right hand. Her left hand plucked one of the masks that were hovering in the air and placed it on her face. "**You'd best prepare yourself**." The voice was dark, demonic and made even the hairs on Kurama's tail stand up on end. If people thought Kyubi could sound demonic, they hadn't heard an angry Miya.

Naruto just gulped as Miya lunged at him.

_Hanabi... I'm sorry._

**x~X~x**

Hanabi suddenly woke up with the feeling that something bad was happening to her Naruto-kun. She quickly dismissed it though as she knew that nothing in the city could hurt him and began to concentrate on her surroundings.

There was the smell of stale, too-clean smell of anti-septic that was dominant in virtually all hospitals. She also noted that there weren't the usual beeps and tweets that were associated with monitoring devices so that meant the medics didn't consider her in any sort of life threatening condition. Nor did she feel any needles or tubes attached to her body, the only thing of note was that her arms were left above the covers of whatever bed she was in.

And the bed certainly felt far more luxurious than what she would have expected. It didn't feel like a normal hospital bed. The mattress was far too comfortable and the sheets far too nice.

Hanabi opened her eyes and slowly looked around the room. It certainly looked and smelled like a hospital room, albeit far more luxurious than anything she'd ever seen before. The monitoring devices were there, they just were not in use. Now that she got a good look at her bed she noted that the sheets were of a fine quality that rivalled what she was used to back in her father's compound. There were also many amenities built into the room such as a small television mounted to the far wall, what looked like a bathroom from the partially opened door and even a small makeshift kitchen, albeit one without a stove.

She also noted that her arms were carefully bandaged and wrapped. They also felt far better than they had when she was last conscious. They didn't hurt or burn anymore, although they were incredibly itchy. Hanabi wasn't much of a medic-nin but she knew that burns of that degree should hurt more than this. Either the technology they had here was incredible or she was so pumped up on painkillers she couldn't feel anything.

Regardless of what it was she used her training to block the itch out of her mind. It was oddly more difficult than she had anticipated. She could also tell that her arms were covered in some sort of liquid or gel like substance, probably to keep them moist and hydrated after what she had done to them.

And she knew what she had done to them. She had seen what had happened to her arms through her Byakugan. She had been too far gone to stop and even if she could, she couldn't risk those two women from getting away from her. It was only when the pain had gotten too intense for her to bear that she had broken the technique and stopped.

Her new abilities and her old ones were not compatible. At least not yet.

The Sekirei core she had within her had settled over where her broken celestial gate had been. It was effectively doubling as a secondary source of chakra, like Kurama was for Naruto, and as a replacement gate for her destroyed one. This meant that with her celestial gate restored her chakra coils were able to mend themselves properly. With the coils restored and the gates working properly her subconscious and body were able to handle chakra the normal way so she was now able to mould chakra like she could back in the Elemental Nations.

However the core did more than just act as a replacement gate. A Sekirei Core was different from regular chakra since it didn't push chakra through her coils. It was just as potent as regular chakra but it was far finer. Instead of needing coils to flow through her body it was able permeate every aspect of it instead through something akin to osmosis but different. The chakra that permeated through her body could be used for her new gravity based abilities. It also allowed her to better protected her inner body parts since she could encase any part of her body, even previous unprotected areas like her heart, lungs and other internal organs.

Unfortunately when she tried to use the two in conjunction there had been an incredible buildup of friction. Her Sekirei Core abilities were focused on her body, but directed with her hands. Her bloodline abilities were also mainly used with her hands. The two different applications of chakra caused friction with each other. The Sekirei Core focused on her arms and hands, permeating everything, but the chakra in her coils were rushing out with great abandon to fuel the Kaiten. Normally the chakra that permeated every cell in her body would just accommodate and move aside from the chakra in her coils but in this case they were both being utilized so it didn't make any accommodation. This caused the friction which in turn caused the internal temperature of her arms to increase exponentially until she literally started to cook from the inside out.

She was going to have to forget combining her more powerful Hyuga techniques with her new Sekirei powers. At least until she learned how to use her family techniques with only one hand or find some way to make the two different ways of chakra utilization to work together.

"Looks like I'm back in the hospital." Hanabi said with remorse, "Sometimes I envy Naruto and his ability to recover from virtually any wound in the span of twenty-four hours." That was a very useful ability to have, especially for a shinobi. She could deal without having the huge mass of demonic chakra inside her though. She moved her legs a bit and wiggled her toes. The bed really was far more comfortable than the one she had for her last hospital stay. "At least it's much nicer than the previous one."

Hanabi began to look around the room with more scrutiny. Naruto wouldn't have left her here with no message. The last thing she remembered was collapsing in his arms so she was sure it was him that brought her here.

Hanabi frowned as she saw nothing to indicate any sort of message. Then her eyes widened in realization. Of course Naruto wouldn't leave anything physical. It was too easily found or tampered with. He would have left a message in a different way, a way that only she could find and understand.

Which left only one option.

"Byakugan." Hanabi whispered as she activated her bloodline ability. She could activate her bloodline without hand seals; it was just faster with them.

If there wasn't a physical message there was going to be a non-physical message. And just as Hanabi had suspected there it was on the wall above the door directly in front of her. Naruto had left a message in chakra. He had stuck trace amounts of chakra in the shape of letters to form words and sentences on the wall. Too faint to be seen by the naked eye, but easily visible by her with her bloodline ability, even if it had faded a bit due to time.

At least Naruto's time as Hokage had improved his hand writing abilities. He had been atrocious back when he had first taken office.

_Hi Hanabi, found hospital not related to MBI, get healthy soon, be back to visit when settled in at Alpha Point. *Smiley Face*_ a little bit down from the original message was a second one._ P.S. Nice girl across hallway, could use a friend._ Hanabi read silently in her head. Well that explained a few things at least. She knew where Naruto was and she had a better idea about her own situation. The second comment about the girl however peaked Hanabi's curiosity.

She focused her eyes and gazed through the two walls separating her room from the room across the way. It didn't grant her perfect vision considering the barriers in the way but she got a good idea of what was going on over there. She noticed two things right away. One of them was that the girl was definitely one of those individuals capable of becoming an Ashikabi and the other one was that there was something incredibly wrong with her chakra coils. Some sections seemed to be very dull, almost devoid of all chakra while others seemed to have bulges. Overall the chakra moved very unnaturally and sluggishly like something was inhibiting its natural movement. She needed to be in the same room to be able to analyze it in greater detail since the two walls made her vision slightly less than perfect.

Even without Naruto's suggestion the Hinata in her wouldn't be able to leave the girl alone. With her ability to see the chakra pathways and manipulate chakra at a very minute level within said pathways she may be able to help her.

She deactivated her bloodline ability as she saw a nurse come this way down the hallway outside, no need to startle anyone if she should walk in on her. Now she just needed to find some way to get up and meet the girl. She wasn't going to start walking around without permission, that was a good way to get into trouble and she was hardly in any position to defend herself at the moment.

It also hadn't helped that she had noticed three strong, probably Sekirei, chakra sources just outside the Hospital she was in. She didn't want to cause any raucous around unknown Sekirei.

And as if answering Hanabi's thoughts the door to her room opened up and the nurse she had seen earlier walked in. Hanabi couldn't help but think that this was a little too convenient.

The nurse brightened significantly when she noticed that Hanabi was awake, "Ah, Good! You're awake." The nurse said cheerfully as she picked up the clipboard attached to the foot of her bed. "We weren't sure when you would awaken. Your arms were in pretty rough shape and that sort of shock tends to have unpredictable results on a person's psyche."

Hanabi just shrugged as best she could, "I've been through worse. Thank you for taking care of me." She tipped her head a little. "How bad are my arms and when do you think I can leave?" Hanabi really didn't want to be stuck in the hospital for an extended period of time.

"I'm not going to lie, it was bad. However we did some surgery to drain the excess fluid building in your arms and applied some experimental cream based on some of the latest biological healing advances created by MBI." The nurse said proudly. Hanabi frowned for a moment and wondered if Naruto had been wrong about this hospital being associated with MBI. Her worries were laid to rest a moment later. "MBI may have the greatest technology in the world but that doesn't mean we can't acquire what they created." The nurse stopped for a moment, her face going white a bit, "You didn't hear me say that!"

"Hear what?" Hanabi asked innocently, playing along with the nurse.

The young woman smiled in relief, "Anyways, normally I would estimate several months to recover but with the new treatments it should only be a few weeks. We need to make sure your recovery goes smoothly. Burns don't heal overnight and we need to ensure that any excess fluid buildup is taken care of and that the skin is healing properly. You could lose permanent usage of your arms if they're not taken care of properly."

The explanation made sense to Hanabi. She didn't like it, she didn't want to be stuck in the hospital for that long, but the loss of her arms was completely unacceptable. At least that should give her plenty of time to get to know the person across the hallway.

"I see, thank you for being so honest with me." Hanabi meant it too. Honesty was actually pretty rare in the shinobi world, at least outside of a close knit group of comrades anyways. It actually made Hanabi a little suspicious but until she had some indication of subterfuge she was going to take the information in good faith. "I don't suppose you could help me up. I think I'd like to meet some of my neighbours. If I'm going to be here for a while I should at least make their acquaintance"

"I really shouldn't." The nurse said as she pursed her lips and looked down at the clipboard. The notes that the doctor in charge of Hanabi had said she shouldn't be up and about for at least a few more days although there were some time schedule for bedridden exercises to help keep the arms and hands retain their proper motions.

"You can be there with me, watch me the whole time." Hanabi said gently as she tried to convince the nurse to let her go. "I won't say anything to anyone. If anyone asks I'll just complain that I've been bedridden all this time."

The nurse sighed and caved in, "Alright, I suppose I could. Just for a short time though. I really shouldn't be allowing patients that just got out of surgery to walk around."

Hanabi smiled again. She was eager to get to know the girl and figure out what was wrong with her. It was in her nature, or rather Hinata's nature, to help those around her that were less fortunate.

Hanabi noticed that the door to her neighbours room was open which made her feel a bit more comfortable. It was difficult to simply go up and talk to someone you didn't know. You never knew what to say since it could come across the wrong way.

She never had this problem back in her village. Despite its size everyone in the ninja force knew just about everyone else. Even if you had never talked to someone there were always enough stories going around about both yourself and the other person that there was already some sort of common ground to work with before even saying the first word.

The nurse didn't actually accompany Hanabi as she poked her head into the room. She was probably being nice and giving Hanabi some time to introduce herself without a nurse hanging over her shoulder.

"Hey there." Hanabi said to the girl. Said girl was seated upright and reading a book in her lap.

She looked up at Hanabi and smiled welcoming. "Hello." Her eyes briefly glanced at the bandages wrapped around Hanabi's arms, "Are you my new neighbour?"

Hanabi nodded and stepped fully into the room, "Yes, I'm just across the hallway." She was beginning to feel a little more comfortable about this situation. This girl didn't seem to mind her presence at all.

"Ah! You must be Hanabi-san! I'm Chiho, Naruto-kun told me about you." Chiho said cheerfully as a smile creased her face.

Naruto-kun? "Not anything bad I hope."

Chiho giggled, "Oh no, nothing too bad. He talked about how you would stalk your sister when you were younger." Hanabi blushed a little at that.

She had been a curious child. She had always wondered where her sister went all the time and whenever she wasn't training with her father she was following her sister, discreetly. Because Hinata usually stalked Naruto Hanabi had become almost as familiar with the blond as her sister. Although she hadn't been as love sick and interested. That only happened after she had killed her sister.

Shaking away the bad memories Hanabi settled into the chair beside Chiho's bed. "He was told that story. My sister was always stalking him and he was too dense to notice. He never noticed she liked him until she confessed to him directly."

Chiho giggled again, "That sounds like Naruto-kun. He and Uzume-chan get along really well. They both seem to have similar interests."

Hanabi's world shook and for a second she thought it was about to end. This was an impossibility that should never have come to pass. Should Naruto ever team up with a female version of him.

Oh dear Log nothing would be safe then. It would be the beginning of the end.

"Please tell me this Uzume doesn't like orange or ramen."

"No, Uzume-chan doesn't like ramen, and her favorite colors are pink and purple."

Hanabi sighed in relief, "I was worried there for a moment."

Chiho smiled, "Yes, I meant to say they both love to tease and pull pranks. She especially loves to dress people up in strange outfits."

Oh dear Log this was bad. This was VERY bad.

"Hanabi-san." The nurse called from out in the hallway, "You should finish up quickly, the doctor is scheduled to have another look at your arms soon and you shouldn't be seen out of bed."

"Sorry Chiho, looks like I need to return to my room."

"That's fine Hanabi-san, I hope we can talk more soon." Chiho said.

Hanabi smiled at Chiho as she stood to leave, "Yes, I'd like that. It's nice to have a normal friend."

Hanabi could tell that this was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship. The two had warmed up to each other very quickly. It had helped that Naruto had broken the ice for them. She would have to do something nice for him when she got out of the hospital.

**x~X~x**

It was an odd sight to see as Naruto and Musubi had walked around the clothing store. The customers and the staff weren't quite sure what they were supposed to do in this situation. Although everyone else seemed to be trying to do their best to ignore the situation. If the young man didn't seem to be in any noticeable discomfort they weren't going to approach him.

For all they knew he could be one of those S&M people.

Naruto appeared as if he had just stepped out of a mixed-martial arts arena. His face was bloodied and bruised, welts could be seen on his arms and his hair was matted down in sweat and dried blood. They were healing rapidly in the eyes of many, but for Naruto they were taking an eternity. Kurama was too terrified to speed up the healing to any noticeable degree lest he raise the ire of the Hannya of the North. The only people that could call him a demon with a straight face were those that hadn't seen Miya when she was in 'that' mode.

Naruto, to his credit, wasn't harrowing Kurama about it either. He knew he deserved every bump, bruise and cut on his body so he was more than willing to endure the pain and discomfort for as long as required. Sometimes the four stages of reducing a woman's ire just wouldn't work and that situation back there was one such time. He had learned early on with Sakura that you never harmed a woman's hair. To do so was almost always a death sentence. He felt he was lucky that he had escaped without any broken bones or ruptured organs.

Naruto was currently standing in one of the change rooms of the store. Unlike most change rooms in clothing stores this place appeared to have entire sections sectioned off. The room Naruto was currently in wasn't the change room itself, although it had a locking door barring the room from the rest of the store. It more closely resembled an anti-chamber with two benches that lined the two side walls. There were actually two different, smaller, rooms that branched out from this room that were used to get changed in. Naruto, for one, was glad for this since Musubi hadn't shown any indication that she knew what modesty was.

Right now he was waiting for Musubi to finish changing into a new set of clothing she had picked out. One of the first things Naruto had decided to do was get Musubi some additional sets of clothing. While the Shrine Maiden outfit was all well and good, it didn't fit all situations.

Naruto just wasn't entirely sure that Musubi should be picking out her own clothing. Some of her choices were definitely strange. Although he couldn't be too sure himself since he wasn't any better when it came to female clothes. Hanabi should be the one here with Musubi but she was hospitalized for the moment.

The curtains opened and Musubi stepped out. A small grin crept across Naruto's face without him noticing. "How do I look Naruto-sama?" Musubi asked as she twirled around for him. Naruto's pants started to feel tight as he stared at Musubi and what she had put on. He hadn't even been aware that she had picked those clothing out.

It brought Naruto's mind back to an earlier conversation. When the customer service rep had handed Naruto the key to the room she had told him to behave. He hadn't understood what she meant but now he did. It would be very easy for a hot-blooded youth to get over-excited when a gorgeous woman stepped out from behind those curtains wearing nothing but sexy lingerie.

"You look amazing Musubi-chan." Musubi was garbed in a pair of silk black panties with a sheer black nightgown that barely seemed to contain her chest. It didn't leave anything to the imagination since Naruto could see right through it. Sure he had seen her in less, but for some reason adding that piece of fabric over her body made Musubi appear even more erotic. "You can never look anything but amazing, but I thought we were here to get your regular clothing?"

"Teehee." Musubi laughed as she rubbed her head and smiled at Naruto. "Hanabi-san wore clothing like this and you seemed to like it so I wanted to wear the same as well!" Musubi had absolutely no idea what she was doing to Naruto's self-restraint as she waved her hands animatedly. It took most of his self-control to remember that Musubi was only wearing it to make him happy, not to arouse him like Hanabi.

It was hard.

"Well I don't mind if you wear it so long as you remember to only wear it around me." It was about time he started to teach Musubi what modesty was. While it was fine for Musubi to walk around in the nude, he certainly didn't mind, he didn't want her to put on a show for the public.

"Yes Naruto-sama!" Musubi turned around bent over as she reached into the change room for something. Naruto got a full on look at Musubi's perfectly shaped behind. The panties seemed to stretch and mould perfectly to her heavenly area making it increasingly harder for Naruto to restrain himself.

_Just take her from behind, you know she'll accept it joyfully._ A voice whispered in his mind.

_SHUT UP YOU PERVERT!_ Naruto shouted back. Laughter echoed through his mind as Naruto scowled.

_That's like the pot calling the kettle black!_ That made Naruto scowl even more.

That scowl was quickly wiped away as Musubi suddenly straightened and pulled out another nightgown that looked identical to the one she was currently wearing. Between Musubi arousing him outside and Kurama egging him on from within it was becoming harder and harder to resist. "After you told me about how we lost everything in the old place I wanted to get this for Hanabi as well so we can both wear it for you at the same time." Musubi said cheerfully as she held up the second sheer nightgown in her hands.

Naruto swallowed hard as images of Hanabi and Musubi hugging him from either side in that nightwear danced through his mind. "That's great Musubi, I'm sure that Hanabi will be happy that you thought about her." He smiled at his Sekirei. "Why don't you try on some of the regular clothing next?" He had to get her into something a little less revealing otherwise the two of them would end up making a mess. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she'd accept anything he did to her, with total acceptance and joy, even if she had no idea what it exactly it was they were doing or its significance. Musubi deserved to know completely what the act entailed and what it meant before she was subjected to it. Most importantly she deserved to know the potential consequences.

As much as Naruto cared for Musubi he really didn't think she had much mother material in her as of yet. Figuratively speaking of course.

"Alright!" Musubi replied in her usual cheerful way. Musubi seemed to be so oblivious to his arousal and as if to torment Naruto even more she began to take off her clothing right there in front of him.

"Ahem." Naruto coughed lightly as he pointed to the change room.

Musubi blushed a little in embarrassment as she let the hem of her nightgown drop. She knuckled her head and stuck her tongue out at herself. "Teehee, Musubi is still getting used to this whole modesty thing." Musubi apologized as she headed back into the change room.

Naruto sighed in relief. He never had to deal with any of this back in the Elemental Nations. Any of this. The only time he had been able to relax and shop for clothing was prior to the war. Sure Ino and Sakura had used him as a baggage boy from time to time but neither of them were like Musubi. He was usually forced to wait outside the store while the girls tried on every outfit and they most certainly didn't pose for him. If he had so much as taken a single peak, even accidentally, they'd beat him into the ground.

Musubi insisted on him seeing every outfit before she was satisfied. Unless it got his approval she wasn't happy with it. He just wanted her to get what she wanted, but apparently in her vocabulary that meant what he wanted. He wasn't planning on getting very much this trip. Just a few extra sets of clothing since he was going to wait until Hanabi could take her out before the fleshed out the wardrobe. A box full of her shrine maiden outfits had been delivered just before their trip out to the stores and while that was all fine and good variety was the spice of life.

"We'll need to get a TV after this." Naruto mused as he stared up at the ceiling. A television was very good for keeping up with current events. It was usually lacking in details, and almost always biased towards a single side or view point, but it was a good place to find out what was going on, even if they whys and who's were convoluted.

"Really? We're getting a TV?" Musubi asked from behind the change curtain. She sounded even more energetic than usual if that was possible. "I really like TV's! I can learn all sorts of things about the outside world that way!"

"Outside world?" Naruto started, that was an odd way of putting it. He had assumed that Musubi was a little sheltered due to her naivety but this was pushing it. Did she spend her entire life in a lab being experimented on by men in lab coats or something?

There was some rustling as the curtains began to move. Musubi opened the curtains and stepped out in a set of clothing. These ones were pretty simple and plain. Just a set of bloomers and a tight fit T-Shirt with the number 88 on the front. "Yes! The world that you live in. We Sekirei were born on an island and we were controlled there." Musubi stopped just in front of Naruto and did another twirl for him. "How do I look?"

Naruto felt as if he had just had a bucket of cold water dumped over his head. Any arousal he once had fled instantly, he couldn't even appreciate the tight fitting clothing that Musubi was wearing. "A-Ah, they look great Musubi." Naruto cleared his throat to clear out the lump that had formed there, "What do you mean by controlled?" He was half afraid to ask.

Musubi smiled up at Naruto and spread her arms out wide. "Newborn Sekirei's can't adjust to the outside world or control their power very well." Musubi explained as she moved forward and embraced Naruto tightly as she buried her face in his chest. He just stood there accepting the embrace as he waited for Musubi to continue, "For example if I couldn't control myself I would have turned you into a pancake by now." Musubi pulled back a bit and lifted her head. Her eyes were closed and her face was flushed as she smiled at her Ashikabi.

"I think I probably would have been fine." Naruto said after a moment. Then again he had to admit, Musubi was far stronger than the average woman and for any of the regular civilians he had seen around the city she probably could have caused legitimate harm.

Musubi stepped back and giggled, "True, Naruto-sama is much stronger than I would have expected from my destined one. Musubi is so lucky to have you as an Ashikabi, I don't have to worry about hurting you." Musubi playfully hit Naruto in the stomach.

"Yes, I'm much stronger than anyone realizes." He replied with a smile. Musubi only nodded her head clueless assuming he was referring to his physical strength. "You mentioned an island earlier?"

Musubi brought both her hands up to her lips and tilted her head to the side slightly. "Ah! Kamikura island! It's a secret island of the MBI and it's not on the map either. However it's off the east coast of Japan and it's where all Sekirei are born and the initial adjustments take place." Musubi replied cheerfully, glad to be of assistance to her loved one. Naruto only shook his head in amusement. Apparently Musubi either didn't know what secret meant, or was just one of those individuals that completely forgot that something was a secret two seconds after being told.

Well Naruto wasn't going to stop and correct Musubi in this situation. The more he learned about MBI the better. Speaking of learning more about MBI. Naruto made a hand sign behind his back.

The store clerks were in total shock as they watched a completely healed Naruto walk out of the store.

"How many more sets of clothes do you have left to try on?" Naruto asked as he glanced at Musubi up and down taking what she was wearing in for the first time. His earlier response had been automatic but now that he had the mental faculties capable of appreciating what Musubi was wearing he found himself wanting.

"Just one more!" Musubi said as she rushed back into the change room and began to change into her final outfit.

"Musubi-chan... the curtain."

"Oh, hehe, oops." Musubi apologized as she closed the curtain. Teaching Musubi anything was a very slow process it seemed. Anything outside of battling and love seem to go right through one ear and out the other.

And food Naruto mused, although Musubi seemed to only remember that when he stomach growled which was usually all the time.

Naruto was feeling a little better now. Musubi's earlier revelation about control had seriously worried him but it seemed that she meant she had help controlling her power, not that she herself was being controlled. Still, it probably meant that has earlier assessment that she was born and raised in a lab was probably pretty close to the truth.

This meant that both he and Hanabi had a lot to teach Musubi before she was up to speed with what a girl her age should know.

"When did you leave the facility?" Naruto asked Musubi. He was sort of curious as to just how much real life experience the young Sekirei had.

"Just recently. Maybe a few weeks before I met you Naruto-sama." Musubi's voice floated across the divide between the anti-chamber and the change room. "I didn't keep track, hehe, I was sort of busy getting chased by those meanies Hanabi-san beat."

Naruto sighed in exasperation and rubbed a hand through his spiky hair. "So that's why you seem to be so clueless about the outside world."

"Muuu, that's not nice Naruto-sama." Naruto chuckled as he envisioned Musubi pouting cutely. "If I hadn't been kidnapped my adjustments would have been done much sooner."

Naruto silenced in mid-chuckle. His blood ran cold again. Kidnapped? Adjustments? What the hell happened to Musubi in the past? "You were kidnapped?" Naruto asked cautiously. He tried to keep his wariness and concern out of his voice.

Not that it mattered much since Musubi could feel what he felt through their bond, "Don't worry Naruto-sama! I'm fine, Yume-sama rescued me and saved my life!" Musubi said cheerfully as she opened the curtain and stepped out of the change room.

Musubi had finished changing into the final set of clothing she had picked out. This time Musubi was wearing a swimsuit: A simple black two-piece bikini. Naruto's blood wasn't certain what it wanted to do. Rage in uncontrollable lust as he stared at the gorgeous women in a two piece bikini or stay cold at the thought of Musubi being kidnapped and adjusted.

Musubi smiled as she felt Naruto's emotions stir again at the sight of her. She was probably the most naïve girl in the world but she still knew these types of clothing made her Ashikabi happy, even if she didn't know exactly why. If it made Naruto-sama happy she'd wear it for him gladly.

"Yume-sama?" Naruto questioned. He assumed that was the name of another Sekirei but one he hadn't heard of before. He really needed to get his hands on more information, or at least someone that could get him that information. This lack of knowledge was troubling him greatly.

"Yes! Yume-sama is a Sekirei like Musubi! She was amazing." Musubi gently placed a hand on Naruto's chest and gazed up into his eyes. "Musubi was kidnapped when she was young but Karasuba-sama and Yume-sama both came to rescue me." Musubi grasped Naruto's right hand and gently placed it directly upon her left breast. "Musubi was dying but Yume-sama saved my life. She gave herself up to heal me. I can feel her inside me even now, can't you?"

At first Naruto didn't understand exactly what Musubi was saying. His hormones were raging out of control as he gently squeezed the soft flesh beneath his fingers. Musubi's face became flushed at his ministrations and her breath started to quicken. Between the feeling in his hand, the clothing Musubi was wearing and the expression on her face Naruto was sure that any moment he was going to lose control and ravage Musubi right then and there when he suddenly understood what Musubi meant. It would be better to say he 'felt' what she meant.

He hadn't noticed it before now, he hadn't really been looking. It was especially hard to notice since the two were so similar to each other. Like himself, Musubi had two different types of chakra within her body. The only reason he noticed it now was due to the prolonged contact. He was able to 'feel' that the normal chakra moved differently at times and was able to trace that. One type of chakra flowed normally throughout Musubi's body like Naruto had come to expect from a Sekirei, but the other seemed to be stationary. As if it was the remnants of something else that was locked to a specific location. The normal flowing chakra was never used for anything, it was simply used to regenerate or recuperate the stationary chakra and it was that chakra that was used to enhance Musubi's physical capabilities.

He hadn't even noticed the stationary chakra until now. He wondered if Hanabi had noticed it earlier. Naruto stiffened suddenly and his eyes widened in realization. In his mindscape, the representation of Musubi's feelings wasn't a single orb, it was two. A large central one with a secondary orb that circled the primary regenerating cracks.

There was no other explanation. That was Yume, or at least the mental representation of Yume's consciousness. And since it seemed to be consciously working to repair the damage… it meant that Yume wasn't dead.

There was something Naruto needed to confirm but he'd have to wait until tonight when Musubi was asleep.

Naruto gave one last final squeeze before he pulled his hand away from Musubi's chest. He smiled gently down at the Sekirei and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Yes, I feel it too Musubi. I understand now."

"Naruto-sama." Musubi sighed softly in contentment as she returned the embrace with equal fervor. She didn't know what brought this on but she was glad that her Ashikabi was feeling better. He felt so warm right now and it made her feel warm inside as well, especially between her legs.

Naruto didn't want to let Musubi go. His protective instincts came back in full force and he swore to himself then and there if he ever found out who had kidnapped Musubi they'd have to deal with a two-hundred tall foot rampaging demon of (former) rage and destruction.

**x~X~x**

Seo slowly stood and brushed off his pants as the black tinted limousine pulled up to the edge of the road in front of him. Seo hated this but a job was a job and like his Sekirei constantly reminded him he couldn't be stingy in what he accepted. What he hated even more was that he had been forced into accepting a job for the one company he never wanted to deal with again: MBI.

It still didn't help the bitter taste that it left in his mouth. It wasn't like the man had done any harm to him or his Sekirei. He had just been acting cautious and careful and wanted some information. He could relate to the man.

When the car finally stopped Seo opened the door and got in. It was a posh interior but Seo didn't pay much attention to it, he wasn't here to admire the interior of the vehicle. He was here to finish the job and get out.

Beside him was a woman, Takami Sahashi to be exact. She was dressed formally wearing a full black grey suit with a white undershirt and black tie. She looked exactly like he had last seen her; the only difference was an eye-patch that covered her left eye. It appeared she had been injured recently.

"I take it you were successful." Takami stated as if she already knew the answer and just wanted confirmation. It wasn't even a true question.

"It's finished, I got what you wanted." Seo growled as he fished out an MBI card and handed it over to Takami. "I still don't understand why you wanted me to steal that for you."

Takami gazed at the card in her hand as she rubbed a thumb over it. "You don't need to know. All you need to understand is that it has served its purpose and we no longer required the owner to possess it."

There had not been any need to take it away from its owner. It was still useful in keeping track of enigma and the charges that had been racked up on it were hardly debilitating for a major corporate conglomerate like MBI.

Minaka however had been insistent. He had changed recently, although he's always had a few screws loose. He just seemed to have a few more these days.

"He's going to be pissed that we took that card from him you know." Seo said as he sighed. He didn't want to go through that experience again. Seo was a worldly person, he had seen the eyes and he knew what type of person he was. Those were the eyes of someone who had killed it wouldn't hesitate to do so again for the right reason.

"Let me worry about Naruto Uzumaki." Takami replied as she dismissed Seo's concerns. "If worse comes to worst I can just blame Minaka. I don't think anyone would miss that madman."

MBI was working on the blood Naruto had given them. All sorts of applications were coming to light including antibodies and gels that could be used to speed up the natural healing process of the body without the risk of expensive procedures and technologies. The blood couldn't be duplicated for some odd reason but they were able to analyze the methods in which the blood did what it did and were able to duplicate the method itself by other means.

Seo sighed opened the door and stepped outside. He needed some fresh air and Takami liked to smoke. He'd had enough. He turned back and leaned slightly as he peered back into the car. "Fine, but I'm not taking the fall for this if he finds out I swiped the card. I'm going to pin the blame squarely on MBI. I don't feel like having another blade pressed against my neck."

"Did he really do that?" Takami asked in surprise. Takami looked as if she didn't believe Seo. Takami had originally thought Naruto to be the kind of individual that only acted violently if provoked. Although Seo did manage to provoke people pretty easily.

"Naruto didn't, his girl did though. Those two are not normal people Takami. I'd be very careful when dealing with them. They possess strange techniques, strength that surpassed that of a physical-type Sekirei and experience. They're not like the Sekirei. They have the look of professional soldiers. They'll take most Sekirei apart piece by piece in a straight up fight."

Takami scoffed at that, "I know Naruto has some interesting attributes but I can hardly see them standing toe to toe against the Sekirei."

The whole idea was ludicrous. Naruto and Hanabi were humans, that much had been thoroughly examined. While both were unique in their own way neither of them had the core associated with being a Sekirei. The core was what made the Sekirei as strong and powerful as they were.

"I'm being serious Takami. I know the girl at least, Hanabi I think her name was, can completely erase her presence. She was able to walk right by my face without me noticing her. She knocked out one of my Sekirei, Hikari, without either of them realizing she was there and Hibiki only noticed when her sister didn't respond. It's like she's been trained to take people out in secret, like an assassin." Naruto disturbed Seo greatly, but Hanabi disturbed him more. He was very observant, and after the modifications that his friend had done to him he was even more aware of his surroundings yet that girl had been able to get the drop on him. It was unnatural.

Takami frowned as Seo's tone and expression took a more serious turn. She looked as if she was beginning to seriously consider what he was saying. He knew he was a no-good mooching bum but he did have a few areas where he excelled at and was relied upon. He knew Takami wasn't stupid enough to totally dismiss what he was saying when he became serious.

He almost never became serious without good cause. If he was serious now Takami would be the fool if she ignored him completely.

"I'll take your advice into consideration." Takami finally said after a moment of deliberation. "Your payment has been forwarded to your Sekirei." A small smirk crossed Takami's face as Seo's expression became sad. "I'm well aware of your philandering ways. The money is better managed in their hands. Have a good night." The door closed and the limousine drove off.

"Tch." Seo said as he turned and walked off down the street. After everything that had happened he needed a drink. He doubted his Sekirei would let him though.

Maybe he could relieve his stress some other way. A lecherous grin spread across Seo's face as he picked up the pace.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I wanted to leave a cliff hanger here but decided not to. Well I don't consider at least I don't consider this a cliff hanger anyways. I could have, quite easily, but if I leave too many cliff hangers people will get upset and they'll lose their impact. These past two chapters, and possibly even the next two, are meant to be sort of a wind-down, a rest period between hectic situations. Kuu-chan's rescue is gonna be awesome ^_^. Well MY kind of awesome anyways.

Hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter and that there weren't too many spelling/grammatical mistakes. I don't have a beta, I just re-read each chapter 1-2 times before I post it and I usually catch most things. Changes in tenses is probably one of the few things I don't catch very easily so just bare with me if you see any.


	9. Chapter 8: The Sekirei of Fate

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**This chapter will pick up where the last chapter left Naruto and Musubi. The later part with Seo doesn't happen until part way through this chapter at night. I guess you could say I'm sort of going back and doing a few scenes prior to the end of the last chapter.**

**Sorry for the long delay, I just lost my job and the past few weeks have been hectic trying to get all my affairs in order and shit sorted out. I got a decent severance package and with employment insurance I'll be fine for a while but losing my job kind of took the axe to my desire to do anything for a while there.**

**Review Responses:** I have to say I'm relieved if the biggest gripe people had about the last chapter was my attempt at humor. I, personally, laughed my ass off when I envisioned the whole scenario in my head. However humor differs greatly from person to person and what one person finds funny, another person finds completely ridiculous. If that's the biggest type of complaint I get for the rest of my story, I'm a happy camper. You can never please everyone, and humor is about as subjective as you can get. It's mostly there to lighten the story up a bit so that it's not all doom and gloom.

I know for a fact that future attempts at humor will probably garner the same reaction, perhaps for different reasons but it'll still be there. That's the problem you run into when you try to delve into humor.

To the reviewer that compared my story to In Flight. Please don't. They may share the same universe, but the main characters are completely different. Naruto is not Shirou. They're not even remotely similar in any way. The only thing that is common between the two of them is that they know what war is like. However war affects everyone differently and unlike Shirou, Naruto isn't so distorted and twisted that he's always in his "I'm an untouchable badass" mode. Naruto still knows how to have a fun time and how to relax outside of tense situations. I don't think Shirou is capable anymore. At the very least I can't sit back and think of any situation in "In Flight" where Shirou just sat around and relaxed. He always seemed to be doing 'something' to enhance or give him an extra edge in the Sekirei Plan. In Flight is a great story, don't get me wrong; just don't compare my story to it. I've actually taken some great pains to separate my story from it.

For anyone wondering about what happened to Hinata, it'll be covered in a flashback in chapter 11. It's already written (I just finished chapter 12).

One of my reviewers said a lot of interesting things. It would take too much time to cover everything but I'll just point out one thing. Naruto never completed the flying thunder god because his focus was entirely on defeating Madara, not perfecting his father's technique. If he put his mind to it he probably could finish it in a couple days but he just simply hasn't gotten around to it, that's all there is to it. He might still complete it, but he might not. It really depends. Naruto is already an unstoppable juggernaut in this universe when he calls on Kurama. Does he really need any more power?

And finally about my last chapter's grammar structure and the like. Basically I had a massive brain fart when I went through proofreading it. I thought I was doing my narrative wrong. I thought third person had to be done a specific way. For some reason I had it in my mind the only third person narrative was 'third-person limited' where you only showed the thoughts and feelings of a single person, kind of an 'over-the-shoulder' point of view. It wasn't until I was halfway through modifying this chapter that I realized my mistake. The way I was doing it was perfectly fine. It's just a different type of third-person narrative called Third-person omniscient where multiple thoughts and feelings are explained, it's also the most common type. My mistake was that I didn't go back and change the change. That's probably why it seemed so odd at times because I literally shifted the narrative style from one chapter to the next and that meant some of the text ended up oddly because I was trying to duplicate what I already had but from a different narrative style. I've gone back to my old way in this chapter though. I prefer being able to describe the emotions of everyone instead of being limited to a single person and what they observe.

**Chapter 8: The Sekirei of Fate**

Naruto and Musubi didn't return to the Inn until later that evening. There had been a lot for them to do over the course of the day.

In addition to the clothing that Musubi had chosen for herself Naruto had picked out a few sets for Hanabi. The sets he picked out matched what his fiancée had prior to the destruction of their condo. He was sure that they would fit and that she would like them, she had been the one to choose them in the first place.

When he had gone to pay for the clothing however he had been surprised to find out that Musubi had her own MBI credit card with a virtually unlimited balance. He had been prepared to pay with his own money he had stashed away but decided to use the money from MBI instead. He had thanked Musubi and kept it on hand to buy the few pieces of furniture that they would need to complete their new room at Izumo Inn.

When it came to the furniture, now that Naruto had an MBI credit card again, he decided to go high quality. He wasn't particularly concerned about how the pieces looked, but how well they functioned.

He bought a large solid oak triple dresser with an elaborate three foot mirror topping. It was varnished just right and constructed with the highest quality oak boards. A matching desk and shelving unit was purchased as well. While he didn't have any books to put in the shelf at the moment it could still be used for other various items.

The chair that was purchased for the desk was a high back leather chair with adjustable arms. It was real leather as well, not the cheap stuff that most stores tried to pass off as real leather.

To top the desk Naruto purchased was a 46" flat screen LED high definition smart TV with all of the bells and whistles one could get with the TV. While Naruto wasn't a big fan of TV's, he only really cared about the cooking channel, Musubi wanted one and Hanabi would miss her shows if he didn't have one when she healed up.

The final item they purchased was to finally replace Naruto's destroyed phone with a new one. It was a better, newer, model of the one he had before. It never ceased to amaze Naruto just how fast things changed in Shinto Teito. It seemed a better version of whatever he bought came out before he even had the chance to open the packaging the item came in.

All in all almost a million yen was spent on furniture and clothing after everything was said and done. Of course it didn't cost Naruto a cent since everything was charged to MBI.

After they were finished buying everything Naruto destroyed the MBI card, quietly without Musubi noticing. He'd just say he lost it or forgot it at one of the stores if she ever asked. He had been meaning to get rid of theirs eventually and now was as good a time as any. There was always an ulterior motive when someone handed you unlimited money and he didn't want to find out what it was. He had milked that cash cow long enough in his mind.

It still didn't stop him from buying several dozen phones of the same variety that he had purchased for himself. He could always sell them off cheaply to someone who could crack the security on them and sell them off at a higher price to dubious organizations.

The trip back to Izumo Inn didn't take them very after they were finished with their shopping. They did turn quite a few heads as Musubi walked through the street carrying a few oversized boxes of unmade furniture over her head, with one hand. It definitely wasn't something one saw every day.

Naruto could have sealed them in a scroll but there hadn't really been any place to do it that wouldn't either make him look suspicious or would be noticed by those around him. He wasn't shy about showing his abilities, when it mattered, but that didn't mean he was going to blare it out to the whole world where everyone could see just for the sake of convenience. A shinobi that revealed their secrets when they didn't need to was just asking to be out-smarted and Naruto needed all the help he could get in that department.

Although seeing Musubi carry multiple boxes of furniture in a single hand over her head wasn't exactly inconspicuous either.

It was rapidly approaching dinner time when Musubi and Naruto finally made it back to Izumo Inn. The sun was just beginning to dip beneath the horizon and the beginnings of an orange glow began to paint itself on the sides of the tall buildings of Shinto Teito.

The Inn looked just as they had left it this morning, albeit it felt a bit more peaceful. Naruto had almost been chased out of the place after Miya had her way with him. The smells of warm food wafted through the air signaled that Miya had already begun to make the evening's meal.

Naruto hesitated for a moment as he reached the door. With the way he had been chased out he was a little nervous about whether or not he was still welcome within the confines of Izumo Inn. Miya hadn't said he was kicked out, but they definitely hadn't parted on the best of terms.

The decision was taken away from him as Musubi pushed the door open with her free hand and walked inside without a care in the world. "Landlady-sama! We're back!" Musubi called out cheerfully as she walked through the living room. She had to do a balancing act to get the boxes of furniture through the door but Musubi not only appeared to have been gifted with incredible strength but also sense of balance.

Miya entered the living room from the kitchen wiping her hands on a small hand towel used to dry dishes. She smiled at Musubi as she watched her balance the many boxes of furniture. "Welcome back Musubi-chan. Did you have fun while you were out?"

"Yes! Musubi and Naruto-sama went all over the place and he bought me all sorts of new clothing." Musubi replied in her usual exuberant way. She also seemed to have completely forgotten that it was her MBI card that Naruto had used to purchase everything but Naruto wasn't going to say anything if it made Musubi happy.

"And where is that no good beast anyways?" Miya asked as she looked around the living room seeing no sign of Naruto. Where she was standing she couldn't see very much out the front door, just a small portion of the walkway outside the house.

Musubi tilted her head and looked confused for a moment. She looked back and waved at someone outside. "What are you doing out there Naruto-sama?"

Naruto walked into the Inn sheepishly, "Ah ha, just… thinking is all." Naruto replied as he tried to pacify his Sekirei. He wasn't going to admit that he was nervous about re-entering Miya's presence. I mean it's not as if he hadn't just pissed her off enough that morning to make the walls bleed.

"Now, now Scum-san, no need to be afraid of a little ol' widow like myself." Miya gave Naruto a small smile as she started to bounce a ladle off her shoulder. Naruto could have sworn she didn't have that on her when he had first entered the Inn. It was probably best not to ask where she had gotten it from. "I'm sure there won't be any more… incidents am I correct?"

Naruto lowered his eyes and bowed low. "Of course Asama-san. What happened this morning was merely reflex and was not meant as any kind of offense or insult towards you. I am deeply sorry for my actions." Whatever it took to keep those scary bleeding masks and walls away from him, he would do it. Plus he was positive that Hanabi would kick his ass if she found out he had thrown a kunai at their new landlady. She seemed to be acting more and more like herself lately, and less and less like her sister.

Miya's smile softened and the ladle disappeared. "It's alright Uzumaki-san. Just so long as you've learned your lesson." Miya glanced back at Musubi, "But I wasn't aware you enjoyed using your…" Miya trailed off for a second.

"Sekirei!" Musubi supplied helpfully. Naruto groaned and just put his face in his palm.

Miya chuckle lightly and appeared to ignore Musubi's comment, "Friends as beasts of burden."

"Oh don't worry Landlady-sama!" Musubi said energetically, "I'm strong! I can carry this no problem."

"That's not what she was talking about Musubi-chan." Naruto said as he gently pushed Musubi from behind, "Could you head up to our room and place those inside? I'll take care of putting them together."

"Sure!" Musubi replied as she turned and headed up the stairs to their shared room.

Naruto watched her go, admiring the view as she walked up the stairs. That short skirt on her Shrine Maiden outfit really gave quite the view when Musubi walked up a staircase ahead of him.

"Ahem, Uzumaki-san?" Miya asked, a hint of disapproval in her voice once Musubi was out of sight.

"Aheh, sorry, I couldn't help myself." Naruto said with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. He was certain that where his old mentor was he was proud of him. Naruto turned and faced Miya, "She volunteered you know, to carry those boxes."

"I know."

"You knew?" Naruto was confused; he was under the impression that Miya honestly thought the worst of him. That was when he noticed a small grin crease Miya's face. It suddenly clicked and Naruto understood. Miya wasn't going to kick him out over what happened this morning. Naruto groaned as he planted his face in his hand again. "You just enjoy teasing me don't you."

"Not just you." Miya crossed the room and peered up at Naruto. "However that doesn't mean I will tolerate any violence here at Izumo Inn. Am I clear?"

"Yes Asama-san."

"I thought I said to just call me Miya, calling me Asama makes me feel old." Naruto nodded hastily. He didn't want a repeat of that morning.

There was a curious look on her face as she studied his. She brought a hand up and gently caressed his cheek. Naruto blushed a little and had to stop himself from turning away. "Your injuries, they're healed already. There isn't even a hint of a bruise left." Miya said in wonderment. "I've never heard of anyone with that level of recovery."

"My family was blessed with longevity and increased healing capabilities." _Not that it saved my mother_, Naruto thought as he turned away. The lack of family had worn Naruto raw over time. There was a hole in his heart that never got filled as a child and that hole only became more pronounced as time moved on. The few minutes he got to spend with his parents inside his mind were hardly adequate replacements.

Hanabi and Musubi were beginning to fill that hole but it would be awhile before Naruto felt truly comfortable talking about his parents.

Miya had almost missed it, but there in his eyes was a painful, faraway look. It was as if he was remembering something from the distant past, something awful. There was a twinge.

"Wow that smells good Miya… whoa." Uzume cut off suddenly as she reached the foot of the stairs. Miya was positioned so that her back was the brown haired Sekirei and with their faces so close it appeared as if the two of them were engaged in illicit activities. "Damn bro you move fast!"

Naruto was knocked backwards a step as Miya whirled around in haste. He hadn't been expecting the sudden movement. Miya had her eyes closed as she smiled up at Uzume; the ladle was back again, resting lightly on her shoulder. Naruto hadn't even noticed it disappear when she had approached him earlier. "Uzume, why don't you go wash up before dinner?" It wasn't a request and Uzume got the hint quickly.

"A-Ah, right Miya. T-That's a good idea." Uzume stumbled a bit on her words as she backed up the stairs from whence she came. It was obvious that she wasn't prepared for another round of scary hannya masks, not after the horror she had to endure that morning. More than likely she'd had enough for a lifetime.

"Maybe I should go see how Musubi-chan is doing." Naruto said as he quietly slipped around Miya to head towards the stairs.

"Yes, that would be most appropriate Uzumaki-san."

Miya watched as Naruto made his way upstairs. He was an enigma to her. There were so many things that just didn't add up and she had to admit it had her curious. She could tell he had a gentle soul that cared deeply for those that were close to him and would go out of his way to help a stranger. It was one of the reasons why she had let him into the Inn without too many questions and why she didn't throw him out when he threw the bladed weapon at her.

But at the same time he seemed to radiate a fierce flame that threatened to burn those around him if it was let loose. His movements were fluid, graceful and he didn't make a sound as he walked. No pitter-patter of feet on the ground, no rustling of clothing, even his breathing was tempered to be as silent as possible. She knew he was experienced in combat and infiltration, very experienced, and that made her doubly curious.

There weren't many situations in which someone like him would need to be created. Military forces in this day and age relied on brute force and power. Stealth was something that was very seldom seen.

And then there were all the other oddities such as his healing abilities, his strength, his speed, his ability to climb up walls without using his hands.

He was very strange and she liked a good mystery. She wouldn't try too hard, after all, she was keeping a rather large one from him, but she would find out what secrets Naruto was hiding from her.

Eventually.

Miya turned and headed back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. It wouldn't do if it burned because she neglected it for too long. She chuckled lightly to herself as a small smile graced her face. Naruto was a mystery that she would unravel in time. However in the meantime he was so fun to tease.

**x~X~x**

That evening found Naruto laid out in his futon with his hands folded across his stomach. He was still as he thought back over the evenings events.

It hadn't taken long for his shadow clones to set the room up. They had worked hard and quickly while everyone else ate dinner downstairs. Musubi was amazed at how quickly everything seemed to get put together and Miya just had this odd questioning look on her face like she was trying to piece together a puzzle that was missing most of the pieces.

Naruto supposed it would seem strange that his room magically pulled itself together without anyone inside it. His shadow clones were such a useful tool for menial tasks such as manual labor. They had been a life saver during his first year as Hokage. Why his predecessors never thought about using the technique to get through the paper work faster he'd never know.

Dinner itself was pleasant enough. Kagari wasn't there to eat with the rest of them having excused himself due to his job as a Host. Musubi was once again proving that she was a human vacuum in disguise as she consumed everything that Miya set in front of her almost before Miya had withdrawn her hand.

Naruto had at times worried that Musubi might accidentally consume Miya's hand in addition to the food. When he had voiced his concerns Miya just let out a small laugh and Musubi gave him a look like 'he' was strange.

The only truly noteworthy thing was the reports of a large botanical garden appearing in one of the parks suddenly. It reminded Naruto of the forests back in Konoha with massive trees that towered over everything. Only this was far more chaotic and uncontrolled.

Still it meant that there was a Sekirei out there with the power to control plant life: The Mokuton bloodline.

"Naruto-sama…" Musubi mumbled as she turned in her sleep. Naruto turned his head and smiled over at his innocent Sekirei. She was currently in her own futon, which was placed beside his, but he knew that it was simply a matter of time before she made his way over into his. He didn't mind, it was nice to have the warmth beside him. There had been far too many cold and lonely nights in his life already.

The fact that she was wearing the erotic black sheer nightgown she had picked out earlier was a nice bonus.

Naruto went back to staring at the ceiling. He didn't have time to admire his Sekirei, there was something he wanted to, no needed to, confirm tonight and he had put it off long enough. He adjusted his breathing and began to take long deep breaths. He closed his eyes and calmed his heart and mind. It wasn't long before he was in the familiar green landscape that was his mind.

He was greeted with a sight that defied his ability to comprehend.

Naruto's jaw dropped to the ground as he stared at what was before him. Never in his life would he ever think he would see something like this. It was just so outlandish and out of character it just didn't make sense. It was as if all the laws of the universe had decided to flip him off and go take a vacation or something.

Kurama, the mighty nine-tailed demon fox, the individual responsible for mass destruction and fear across the Elemental Nations, at least before Naruto befriended him, was lying on his back playing with that silverish orb of energy that normally floated around him. He was playing catch with himself, gently holding the ball, throwing it into the air, and then catching it again either with his feet or with his tails if it landed too far from his legs.

And the ball of energy seemed to be… enjoying it? That was the impression Naruto was getting from the glowing silvery thing.

Being inside Naruto's own mind he had a greater understanding of how things felt and acted than would normally be possible considering it was nothing more than a glowing ball of energy. But he was able to interpret the different pulses and shifts of energy pretty well.

Kurama was playing catch with his own accessory. Kurama's eyes were wide open and shone with glee. His tongue was hung out to the side as he joyfully played the game of catch. It was such a ludicrous sight that Naruto was struck speechless. His thought processes began to shut down as it desperately tried to make room to understand the impossibility before him. The entire reason for coming there was completely wiped out of his mind.

It was in mid toss that Kurama finally noticed Naruto's presence. His eyes widened slightly and suddenly the game of catch was over. Kurama instantly appeared before Naruto and sat demurely on his hind legs with his tails gracefully curved around him on the grass. The silverish orb, too, was no longer acting the way it was inside it gave off a regal feel as it floated calmly beside Kurama as if nothing had happened.

Naruto still hadn't moved an inch as he stared at the spot where Kurama had been.

"Ahem, you didn't see what you think you saw." Kurama started as he tried to dismiss what had happened as if it was nothing more than an illusion. "Whatever you think you saw never happened. I, the mighty Kurama, would never lower myself to playing something as silly as a human game." The orb that floated beside Kurama bobbed up and down as it nodded in agreement.

Naruto was still as a statue. His mind still incapable of processing what he had just witnessed.

Kurama shared a quick glance with his floating friend before he brought his gaze back down upon his host. "Naruto, it was all a figment of your imagination. It happens you know, this is your mind and you have some weird and warped ideas you know. You just happened to run into one of them, that is all. I was most definitely 'not' playing that stupid human game known as 'catch'." The orb bounced up and down again as it threw in its agreement with Kurama.

Naruto's mind tried to do a memory wipe to try and get rid of the image. It was just too much for him to handle. He was definitely going to need a mental reboot to get over what he just saw.

Kurama frowned as he stared down at his blonde friend. It didn't appear as if anything he said actually got through to the poor man. Kurama turned to address the floating orb. "I think I broke him." The orb pulsed mournfully as it agreed once again with Kurama. It hadn't meant to break the poor boy. Well at least not this much anyways.

Then the mindscape went completely dark. Everything seemed to disappear with the exception of Kurama, Naruto and their accessories. Big bold red words began to appear around everyone in there.

"**Reboot in Process! Reboot in Process! Please do not do anything strange and abnormal while reboot is in session.**"

Kurama and the orb floating beside him both developed large sweat drops behind them that slowly dripped to the ground. Perhaps they had broken Naruto far worse than they had initially thought. It appeared as if Naruto's mind was set to actively erase everything it had just seen because it was physically and mentally incapable of comprehending it.

"Yes, I definitely broke him." Kurama rumbled to himself as he peered around him. He had never seen a mind reboot itself like this before. Granted he'd only ever been trapped in three individuals total so it wasn't as if he had a great deal of experience. He had been nothing more than a giant ball of hatred and malice while he was within Mito and Kushina Uzumaki, predictable and tightly bound incapable of doing any more than simply existing.

As quickly as the words appeared they disappeared and the mindscape recreated itself reverting to a time before Kurama decided to… amuse himself within Naruto's mind.

It was from that moment on that Kurama swore to pay a bit more attention to his surroundings whenever he let loose and relaxed. While he didn't know too much on mental reboots he knew that it couldn't be healthy. Naruto was already stunted enough in the mental department due to a slow start that he wasn't willing to risk any more damage on an already fragile mind.

Naruto held his head in his hands and shook it gently. "Ugh, that was weird." Naruto mumbled to himself as he slowly raised his head and looked around. "I feel like I'm forgetting something all of a sudden."

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about that too much." Kurama said quickly as he tried to interrupt Naruto's train of thought. "If it was important you will remember it in time. Now, what brings you here?" Kurama didn't want Naruto to remember what had just happened. Aside from the obvious mental breakdown Naruto had just experienced it was a rather embarrassing sight that Kurama didn't want anyone, not even his container, to know about.

I mean really, did people honestly think he just sat on his haunches all day looking badass? Well he did do that to some extent but he had to relieve his boredom somehow when Naruto wasn't around. At least Naruto hadn't seen him chasing his tails like he used to do. It was actually pretty difficult when you had nine of them. There was also the fact that no matter how fast he ran they ALL managed to stay out of reach. It was frustrating to the ninth degree.

Naruto's face brightened slightly before a thoughtful look appeared. "Ah that's right! There's something I want to, no need to, check out tonight. It could be pretty important." Naruto said as he sat down cross legged on the top of one of the gentle hills. He pushed his earlier thought out of his mind. Like Kurama said if it was important something would remind him of it and he'd remember then, hopefully.

"Oh? That's pretty strange of you to do outside of when you get serious." Kurama rumbled in his deep voice. A couple of his tails involuntarily came up and started to bat the orb away. The orb began to giggle, at least that's what it felt like from the ripple like patterns that appeared on its surface, as it began to dodge and weave between the tails.

"Damn it you giant fuzz ball." The ripples on the orb became more pronounced, "I do think about things you know!"

"Ramen doesn't count."

"Hey! I think about more than just ramen." Naruto had an indignant look on his face. He thought about way more things than just Ramen. It was just that Ramen was the food of the gods and deserved more attention than anything else. Well almost anything else he supposed after a moment. Hanabi and Musubi DID deserve a little bit more than Ramen, but just a little.

It was Ramen after all.

"Neither does thinking about various ways of banging those girls of yours."

"Bah you're just jealous I get some, hey no wait that's not what I meant." Naruto blushed fiercely. He had to admit that thinking of new ways of expressing his love for Hanabi did cross his mind often. As did the various ways he could weave Musubi into that threesome vision he had dreamed of lately.

But that still wasn't the bulk of everything he thought of! He thought of other stuff as well. He'd prove it too! Just as soon as he figured out what else there was that he thought of on a regular basis aside from his precious people and Ramen. There had to be more to his thought processes than that right?

Naruto glared up at Kurama in mock fury as the giant demon foxed laughed at his plight. "Anyways, enough with using me for your amusement. Have you learned anything else about these orbs that follow us around and their various connections?" Naruto asked as he tried to bring the conversation back on track. He had come here tonight for a purpose but before he went through with it he wanted to have as much information at his disposal as possible and if Kurama had learned anything more he wanted that information.

Kurama shook his head from side to side. "Unfortunately not a whole lot more." The nine-tailed foxed grumbled as he glared at the orb that was still weaving between his tails. There wasn't any heat in the gaze though, "I have learned that there appears to be a two-way communication between my orb and Hanabi's. I'd hazard a guess that the same exists between that Musubi girl's orb and whatever it is connected to."

Naruto frowned at that piece of information. That wasn't exactly good news. "So you're saying that Musubi's connection could potentially be a way for an external source to attack her, or worse anything inside here?"

Kurama nodded his head slowly, "Yes, that is possible, although you need to remember that the orbs are simply mental representations. While it is definitely possible for Musubi to come under influence or attack from an external source, for it to jump from the representation of Musubi's bond with you to another bond or anything else in here is extremely unlikely." The theory was there but the ability to pull it off shouldn't be. Even back at the height of the Elemental Nations it was impossible to pull off a long range attack like that, and Naruto was strong enough to prevent anyone from doing anything within eyesight. "However if there ever was some sort of influence or attack on Musubi I would do my best to halt it." Kurama said as he tried to comfort Naruto. "I like the idea of uninvited guests and intrusions here less than you do so if anything wanted to harm Musubi or Hanabi it would have to get past me first."

Naruto smiled up at his old friend, "Thanks Kurama, it's nice to know you have my back in this situation." Naruto looked back and forth between the two orbs that hovered just above his shoulders. A thoughtful look crossed his face again, "Is there any possible way of disconnecting Musubi to whatever it is outside of my mind and connecting it to your own orb? I'd feel much better knowing that she wasn't at threat from some unknown force at any time."

Kurama shrugged, "I might be able to, but I don't know what kind of changes or damages a severance would have on Musubi. It's probably best to leave it as is until we know for certain that there is a clear danger to her."

"Are you certain?"

Kurama gave him a look as if he was stupid, "I have been analyzing Hanabi's connection with my orb for quite some time to try and figure everything out about it. I know I said there was a connection but it's not like there is actually anything there. It's more that the orb is attuned to sending and receiving from a particular source. Like how the humans here have developed, what was it, radio communication I think? Anyways it wouldn't be hard to override the current imprinting on Musubi's orb so that it responded to my own instead of some external connection. However there was no telling what kind of result could arise from such an act. Musubi may be irreparably changed as a result. We just simply don't know enough about this." Kurama explained in more detail.

Naruto sighed and accepted Kurama's explanation, "Alright, well just keep an eye on it for now. If you find the chance to swap it over without any ill effects on Musubi, you have my permission to go ahead and do it." Naruto only hoped that their lack of information on this subject wouldn't come back to bite them later.

Kurama nodded his head, "I will do that. Now, what was the real reason for coming here tonight? Surely it was for more than just an update."

Now that they were on the subject of the real reason he had come here tonight Naruto felt he had enough information to go ahead. He held his hand out for the pink orb. It took the hint and gently floated down into the palm of his hand. It didn't appear to be all that different from the first time he saw it. The large pink orb was still spider-webbed with cracks and the smaller orb orbited the larger one as it repaired the cracks as fast as they appeared. It didn't look as if any progress was made almost as if it was currently at a stalemate. "Musubi may be more than just Musubi, I'm here to figure out just how much of Musubi is Musubi and how much of Musubi isn't."

"Well that's infuriatingly vague." Kurama responded as a large sweat drop rolled down the back of his head.

Naruto sighed and tried again, "Musubi-chan said she was kidnapped early in her life and that one of her fellow Sekirei sacrificed her life to save her. I don't know the specifics of how or what but there are two similar, yet still distinctly different, types of chakra within Musubi. I believe one of them belongs to this Sekirei that saved her, Yume." Naruto brought up his other hand and held it sideways beside Musubi's bond to him. "If my hunch is correct then…"

"This Yume individual is also bound to you just like Musubi and that smaller orb is her." Kurama finished for Naruto as he finally understood where Naruto was going with all of this.

If that orb belonged to Yume and it was a mental representation of the Sekirei then it meant that there was also a second consciousness within Musubi, probably buried beneath her conscious mind. That second orb moved with purpose which indicated that there was a will behind its actions.

And if there was a will then that meant it could be possible for Naruto to manifest the orb in a different form, perhaps one more suitable for conversation. He couldn't do it for Musubi or Hanabi, their minds couldn't be pulled in here due to the attachment to their physical form, but if this Yume resided purely within the subconscious then it could be possible to bring her forth.

A look of interest entered Kurama's eyes. "How do you plan on manifesting her here?" Kurama asked curiously.

Naruto had thought about that a bit, while he could open his mind to allow it, he couldn't force the subconscious in here. Not very easily anyways and not without potentially hurting Musubi. The Yamanaka could do it, but it required a special technique and physical contact.

Although considering how clingy Musubi got while they slept Naruto was positive the physical contact wasn't going to be much of an issue. She was probably already snuggled up tight against him.

"I haven't really thought that far." Naruto admitted honestly. Kurama sighed deeply, it sounded like the thunder after a lightning strike. Naruto hadn't really figured out how to get the manifestation to occur. He just hoped that whatever it was would be willing to allow her to be drawn into his mindscape. If Yume didn't want to appear he was pretty much stumped. "From what I was able to sense earlier today this Yume character appears to be supplementing Musubi's own chakra. Musubi only has a set amount and Yume appears to be replenishing it. If I can take over that replenishment for a short period of time, and we both know I have ridiculous amounts of chakra to spare, I'm hoping that this Yume character will be curious enough to accept my invitation."

"You're gambling on a lot of things kit." Kurama asked, sounding as if he was greatly concerned about what Naruto was about to do. Naruto didn't blame him either, there were a large number of different things that could easily go wrong. "Let's say you supply Musubi your chakra, will it be enough, perhaps too much? Will this Yume even notice? You're assuming there's more than base instincts residing within that bond. Do you even know the exact method that Yume was using to replenish Musubi's chakra?" If Naruto messed up the transfer he could hurt Musubi very easily.

"I'm going to gamble on this, I tend to be lucky." Naruto said as he prepared to go through with his plan. He had one thing going for him. The orb was a mental representation of Musubi's bond with him; this bond went beyond just feelings and actually gave an indication on the health and well-being of the person it represented. If the cracks began to show any signs of worsening he was going to halt the technique right away. "I can't just leave this as it is. Musubi says Yume is a good person, but Musubi trusts everyone blindly. I can't afford that kind of naivety, especially when a piece of that individual resides within my mind."

"So you're just going to wing it?" Kurama asked incredulously.

"Yes, but the moment things appear to be going south I'm going to stop. I'm not going to push anything if looks as if Musubi will be hurt by this."

He had delayed long enough; it was time to do this. When he had sensed the two different chakras in Musubi earlier in the day he had noted how the conversion had taken place. It was truly remarkable and helped illustrate just how different Sekirei actually were from regular people. The chakra that was being supplied to Musubi was directed to certain locations that were lacking and then simply, let go. The chakra was just released and Musubi's body had taken control from there converting it properly into what she needed.

He had a feeling that it was so simple because of how similar the two types of chakra were but he intended to use the same principle. He was going to have to try and adjust his chakra as well so that it more closely resembled Musubi's before he handed it over. He hoped that since the two of them were bonded that it meant his chakra was in some way compatible with Musubi's. Compatible enough that she'd be able to utilize it.

It was a huge gamble and one that Naruto would fold on at even the hint of something awry.

He began slowly, as to not cause any serious problems if something did go wrong, he began to emit chakra from his hand and channelled it into the various cracks that were appearing in the orb. He was careful to keep anything related to Kurama out of said chakra since he doubted it would be particularly compatible.

At first nothing appeared to happen and some doubts began to appear about the feasibility of this strategy. The doubts increased as the orb began to darken, although it would be more accurate to say that it took on a more pinkish hue. Naruto was on the verge of stopping right then and there when the cracks that he was feeding chakra into started to mend. Naruto would be the first to admit he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing but he was glad that it at least appeared to not be having any ill effects on his Sekirei.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Musubi.

The smaller orb that was circling around Musubi's orb jerked suddenly, as if startled by what was going on. It even felt a little confused as if it did not quite understand what was happening. That was understandable. What Naruto was doing would be impossible for anyone other than another tailed-beast host, and he was the last. People always seemed to be startled when Naruto accomplished the impossible.

Naruto brought his other hand over, the one that had been held vertically beside the orb, to the smaller orb that Naruto assumed represented Yume. He didn't touch it directly, just held it nearby as if signalling for it to accept his hand. He wasn't going to force the issue. Regardless of Yume's intention, she was the only thing that kept Musubi alive and he wasn't going to jeopardize that.

The smaller orb seemed to hesitate for a moment. It hovered in place for a moment as it wondered what was going on. Much to Naruto's relief however its hesitation didn't last very long. It accepted his invitation. The orb separated itself from Musubi's and hovered above his right hand.

The moment he brought his hand away an incredible feeling enveloped Naruto as if he had just reached a climax. It was odd since he was inside his mindscape and he shouldn't be engaged in any sexual activities, and even if he was it shouldn't have filtered through to his mindscape.

"It's love! I can feel the overflowing love!" A cry rang out through the mindscape as a form began to coalesce before Naruto. The small white orb began to dissolve and flow outwards as it joined the growing form before him.

The form started out as nothing more than a pure white shadow, if such a thing was possible, before it started to take true form, shape and color. When all of that came together Naruto had to blink a couple times to make sure he was seeing correctly.

It was almost as if Musubi herself had appeared before him inside his mindscape instead of the Yume he had hoped to attract. For a short moment Naruto wondered if he had brought the wrong person into his mind but then quickly realized that regardless of how much this woman looked like Musubi, she felt completely different.

After a little more analysis he realized there were a few more differences between the two. First off this woman had smaller breasts than Musubi, not that it was difficult considering the sheer size his Sekirei carried on her frame. Most women would have smaller breasts than Musubi. However there were a few other differences that Naruto noticed. One being that her pony-tail was slightly shorter than Musubi's and her proportions were leaner. She still had curves in all the right places but her muscles appeared to be more tone and there was just a tad bit more of them.

The most significant difference however was the pair of yin-yang symbols in her eyes.

She was also completely naked which both Naruto and Kurama took the time to appreciate fully.

"Are you… Yume-san?" Naruto asked curiously. He was pretty sure she was but he wanted to make sure.

The brown-haired Sekirei clasped her hands before her as she smiled at Naruto, "Yes! I am No. 08 Yume, The Sekirei of Fate and the leader of the second Disciplinary Squad and Guardian of the S-Plan! You must be Naruto-san. Musubi is so lucky to have someone such as you as her Ashikabi. I can feel your love pouring into her." Naruto could feel practically see the love that radiated from Yume although he wasn't quite sure who it was directed towards. He got the distinct feeling it was directed towards all people in general.

But one thing didn't sit well with him. Whenever someone started spouting gibberish about Fate and Destiny he got a little nervous. Many people had been twisted and distorted because they believed too heavily in that stuff. "Sekirei of Fate?" Naruto asked cautiously hoping to get a more in-depth explanation.

"Yes! I am the defender of love and will use all my power to make sure Musubi and all the other little birds live a life full of love and happiness!" Yume declared with a fierce determination as she thrust her chest out and clenched a fist before her. Naruto figured she was trying to strike an imposing figure but that was pretty difficult considering her lack of clothing.

Ah, she was one of those people. She was kind of like him then. It wasn't so much that she felt she controlled or was bound by fate, but that she felt it was her duty to allow others to choose their own fate. At least that's how Naruto interpreted it. That put Naruto at ease a little. He wasn't quite sure what he would do if there was a female version of a young Neji living inside Musubi, although there had been many indicators that Yume was quite different.

"I am trying to determine your exact relationship with Musubi and I was hoping you could shed some light on this bond that you and Musubi have." Naruto wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to start the conversation but Yume appeared to be alright so maybe she would volunteer the information.

"You do not have to worry Naruto-san. Musubi is as precious to me as she is to you." Well, she certainly didn't have any of Musubi's naivety. She was able to pick up on far more subtle things than his Sekirei could. "My only desire is for her to live out her life happily with you and I will help in any way I can!"

"She has to be lying." Kurama spoke finally. He had lain down during the introduction and had his head rested on his front paws. He peered intently at Yume as he searched for answers. "You humans never do something for another without wanting something else in return." Yume quickly whirled around and started in surprise as she beheld the sight of the powerful demon fox that had been behind her. She obviously hadn't expected such an entity to exist inside Naruto. Kurama glanced over at Naruto, "Even you Naruto usually have something you wish in return be it respect, acknowledgement or even love. You may not want anything materialistic, but there's always something." Kurama turned his eyes back on Yume, "So what is it that you want little human?"

"What is this?!" Yume exclaimed in surprise as she stared at the Kyubi. "There is so much anger and malice swirling around inside it, and the power!" Yume settled into a battle stance as if she was prepared to do battle against Kurama. "I don't know how you got inside Naruto-sama but I won't let you hurt him or Musubi!"

Kurama just yawned in boredom. There wasn't much that Yume could do to Kurama. The nine-tailed demon fox was a mass of chakra and many times more powerful than Yume. Kurama couldn't be killed, only contained.

"Ah, that's Kurama." Naruto spoke up. He hoped Yume would hold off long enough to allow him to explain. He didn't want a battle to break out in his mind. "He's been inside me since the day I was born. He's a friend. He doesn't like most people though. Humans haven't treated him very well in the past."

Kurama snorted, "That's an understatement of a lifetime. Besides you and a few of those humans you surround yourself with I couldn't care less if the rest of your species was wiped off the planet. Humans as a whole are a giant mass of self-serving, egotistical, maniacs hell-bent on destroying themselves and taking everyone and everything else with them and I personally think this world would be better off without them." Kurama paused for a moment before adding, "Present company excluded of course."

Yume looked sad as she eased out of her fighting, "All humans are precious! You shouldn't wish death on everyone; they all deserve the chance to find love and happiness."

Kurama snorted in disgust, "You have yet to see the true depths at which human depravity can reach if you still think that little girl."

Yume ignored Kurama and turned halfway towards Naruto. It looked as if she still wanted to keep an eye on Kurama in case in made any aggressive moves. "I do not understand. How does someone filled with such love and dedication have such a being inside them?" Yume asked.

Naruto sighed and figured there wasn't really any harm in telling her. I mean it's not like she had any way of blabbing about his secrets. "I'm a vessel I suppose you could say. A human enslaved him on the day of my birth and tried to destroy my home with him. My father sealed Kurama inside me to prevent that from happening. I'll admit we hated each other at first but we came to an understanding. He's not so bad once you get to know him. A little perverted but aside from that I really couldn't ask for a better friend."

"And you say that like you aren't yourself. I've seen the way you've been looking at this Yume since she appeared." Kurama fired back as he grinned at Naruto. Kurama loved to tease Naruto and seemed to do it whenever he could and if it was in front of someone else it was even better.

Naruto blushed slightly as Yume eyed him. He turned his head a bit and glared at the fox in mock anger. A small laugh escaped from Yume's lips as she turned around to face Naruto completely. She folded her arms beneath her breasts, "You don't need me Naruto-san. You have Musubi-chan."

"Hey, you're a part of her, as far as I'm concerned that was a two-for-one deal." A smile graced Yume's face and her eyes twinkled with mirth. She didn't appear to be the least bit offended by Naruto's statement. She had also made no movement to cover up at all. Naruto decided to turn on the charm a little bit. "Besides if you're going to defend everyone else's love and happiness, who better to defend yours than myself?"

Yume looked sad for a moment, her eyes took on a downcast look, "I'm afraid it's not my fate to ever know that happiness." She raised her eyes and a fierce fire started to burn again inside them burning away the sadness that had overcome her for the moment. "But I can experience it through Musubi!"

"And so we have her reason at last." Kurama said finally and closed his eyes. He knew there had to be a reason for Yume to make that earlier declaration. Humans were all the same, they always wanted something. The main thing that separated the good from the bad was whether or not they gave more than they received. It was still too soon for Kurama to make a judgement call on Yume but already she seemed better than the average human.

Naruto however had a different reaction than Kurama's indifference. The look he shot Yume was filled with heat and anger. "Don't give me that shit about fate." Naruto snarled at her. Yume was surprised at vehemence of his statement and looked very much taken aback at the heat in his voice. "I don't care if you call yourself the Sekirei of Fate or whatever. Fate is never decided for you, only you get to decide that. You CAN experience that happiness. Don't you dare hide behind such convenient words."

Yume was speechless for a moment. Naruto was angry not at her, but at her willingness to give up on her own happiness. He genuinely seemed to care about her, someone he had just met moments ago. Warmth began to spread through her as the words sunk in deeply. She was certain she would call Naruto her Ashikabi if she had a body of her own and if she wasn't…

It was just so unfortunate that for her to experience that happiness, Musubi would be forced to lose hers, and she said as much, "I'm a part of Musubi now and so long as I remain a part of her the fact remains that it is simply impossible for me to have an Ashikabi as she does." Yume explained softly, "Only one of us can experience this and I made my choice long ago that Musubi would be the one to carry on."

Naruto frowned as he realized she was right. At the moment, despite his words, there wasn't any way for Yume to have what Musubi currently did. She and Musubi had a relationship very much like himself and Kurama in that Yume and Kurama could only experience the world through the people they were bound to. Considering the condition Musubi was in Yume was probably even more restricted than Kurama was.

"It's still too soon to give up." Naruto wasn't one to give up though just because it seemed impossible. He lived his entire life making the impossible happen. "Just because we don't know of a solution now, doesn't mean one won't arise in the future. I won't give up looking, and you shouldn't give up hoping."

The smile Yume graced Naruto with was beautiful. It took Naruto's breath away for a moment as he realized just how gorgeous Yume actually was. While Yume looked very much like Musubi, she carried a maturity that made her just that much more appealing to Naruto. "You truly are a caring person Naruto-kun." Yume said finally, "I'll keep on hoping as you've requested. You've given me something to look forward to. Musubi truly is blessed to have someone like you as her Ashikabi."

"Good." Naruto replied with a smile, "That smile suits you better than that earlier look."

Yume just shook her head ruefully. Naruto was far more complex than she had realized initially. "I think I should return to Musubi now." Yume said as she pointed towards the orb that represented Musubi's orb.

Naruto glanced over at it and noticed it was vibrating and pulsating. The color seemed to be shifting from a deep pink to a lighter pink and back again in time with the pulses. Aside from the odd behaviour the cracks didn't appear to be any worse than before, if anything there were fewer and those that did exist were less pronounced.

"It seems to be doing fine to me, although its behaviour is peculiar." Naruto noted as he analyzed the orb carefully. Throughout the conversation he had been keeping an eye on it discreetly in case it had taken a turn for the worse.

Yume blushed slightly which made both Kurama and Naruto curious, "Well at the moment my Tama is currently inside you, not Musubi. I should return before I get too acclimatized to your body and have difficulty readjusting to Musubi's when I return." That made sense to Naruto, although he wasn't quite sure how or why her core was now inside of him. It did sort of explain the odd feeling he had when he separated the two orbs earlier.

That didn't explain why she was blushing though. "There's more to it than that though right?"

Yume nodded slowly, "To exchange my core between you and Musubi it was similar to the ritual where you lend your power to Musubi to have her winged, only this was in reverse. It also required something a bit more intimate than a simple kiss."

Naruto tilted his head for a moment as he thought; it didn't click until Kurama whistled from behind Yume. It was a long whistle that had a distinctly sexual connotation to it. Suddenly Naruto understood and began to blush madly. They had been having this conversation for a while now so that meant that he and Musubi had been going at it for quite some time.

"Ah, right, you bring up a good point." Naruto said hurriedly and raised his palm up before Yume indicating he was ready to re-join her with Musubi.

Yume gave Naruto one last smile before she dissolved back into a small glowing white orb. He brought his hand up beside the pulsating orb that represented Musubi and held it close. He wasn't sure what else he could do but he hoped the proximity between the two bonds would be enough for Yume to take care of the rest.

And it was. Another climatic feeling rushed through Naruto's body as Yume's Sekirei core flowed from within him and back into Musubi. The moment he felt the connection shift and saw Yume had gone back to supporting Musubi from within he stopped channelling chakra into the orb and let it float gently free. The orb began to take on its normal pinkish hue as the vibrations and pulsating settled down.

Naruto swallowed hard and looked over at Kurama. "I think I should head back and see what kind of mess has been made."

Kurama barked a laugh, "Mess, of course, just make sure to clean up before Miya sees it. Unless you want another beating."

Oh god he hoped not. Not that he didn't want to mind you, Musubi was a beautiful woman after all, it's just he wasn't sure Musubi was ready for the birds and the bees talk, especially if it came along with a demonstration.

And then there was Miya's warning. He didn't want another encounter with her ladle quite so soon.

**x~X~x**

When Naruto woke up the first thing he noticed was the weight on top of him. Apparently Musubi had crawled into his futon while he had been asleep. It was a pleasant feeling as Musubi had her arms wrapped around his waist and her breasts pressed tightly against his chest. At some point during the night she'd managed to lose all her clothing.

The second thing Naruto noticed was the pleasurable, warm and yet distinctly wet, feeling he was experiencing between his legs. With a groan Naruto understood exactly what he was feeling down there.

Musubi wasn't a virgin anymore.

What's worse is that as Naruto got a good look at Musubi he realized she'd been asleep the entire time. Either that or she had fallen asleep immediately after the deed was done but knowing her it was probably the former.

Naruto rolled over so that Musubi was beneath him. He shuddered slightly as the friction caused by the movement caused him to harden inside her again. "Mmmm, Naruto-sama…." Musubi murmured in her sleep and Naruto definitely didn't want to know what it was she was dreaming about. "Sex tastes so good."

Ok that was weird. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what Musubi was dreaming about. It would probably be something beyond his ability to comprehend.

Naruto carefully wiggled himself out from between Musubi's arms. It was surprisingly more difficult than he had anticipated. Musubi was strong and she did have a good grip on him. She didn't seem to wake up as he pried himself from her embrace but his luck didn't hold out for very long.

As he sat up, finally free from Musubi's strong embrace, she woke up. Apparently while she can sleep through sexual intercourse and Naruto's struggles, the loss of his heat was enough to wake the Sekirei. Naruto froze, still inside her, as Musubi propped herself up with her left hand and rubbed her eyes with her right.

"Ah, Musubi I can explain." Actually he couldn't be he hoped to come up with a good enough excuse. This was what he had hoped to avoid. Even if he had managed to pull out of her before she saw them joined he'd have a difficult time explaining the liquid leaking from her.

"Ah, Naruto-sama, good morning." Musubi said sleepily. It wasn't morning yet but apparently Musubi was too groggy to figure out whether or not the sun had risen. She sat up all the way and suddenly gasped in pleasure as her movement caused Naruto to shift inside her.

Musubi looked down at their waist curiously for a moment before she smiled happily. "Look Naruto-sama! We're joined as one!" Musubi seemed to be incredibly happy and excited at the prospect. Naruto started to sweat fiercely. He knew Musubi would accept him willingly. His whole issue was that she didn't truly understand what it is they were doing. He was going to have to explain it now and if she was anything like he was when he got the talk it was going to be bad.

Musubi started to poke and prod the joining in curiosity. Naruto couldn't help but stiffen even more as Musubi played with him. "Ah you see Musubi, there are some things that I need to explain to you." Naruto started off carefully.

Musubi looked up and smiled at Naruto, "Yes Naruto-sama?"

"Well you know how Hanabi said she'd tell you about sex at a later date?" Naruto asked curiously, hoping that she'd remember that conversation. To his relief Musubi remembered and nodded her head in acknowledgement, "Well you see." Naruto pointed down, "This is sex."

Musubi peered down curiously again. Suddenly her eyes widened in understanding. "Ah! I see!" Naruto smiled in relief; apparently this was easier than when he had it explained to him. Musubi reached down and wiped a bit of the white fluid that was leaking from her onto her finger and put it in her mouth. Naruto almost did a face fault right then and there as Musubi made an odd face, "It doesn't taste anything like I dreamed it would. Sex tastes a bit sour." Musubi complained as she pulled her finger out of her mouth and looked at it. She tilted her head to the side cutely as she thought deeply about something. Her face brightened a bit as if she had an epiphany "But it does taste a little bit like Naruto-sama!" Musubi cried out cheerfully.

Naruto's brain just exploded both from the sheer sexiness of what he saw and the ludicrousness of Musubi's interpretation of what sex was. Forget about her not being as bad as he was, she was worse. He didn't even WANT to know how she knew what he tasted like or where she had derived that taste from prior to now.

Musubi looked at Naruto in confusion as smoke steamed from his ears, "Is this what you and Hanabi made that morning in the kitchen? I thought it was egg whites."

Naruto began to twitch violently. His eyes violently blinked as he tried to bring his brain back under control. He already had one mental breakdown that night, he didn't want a second.

"I… you… No… this…" Naruto stopped and took a deep breath. "Alright, fine let's just go with that." Naruto said finally, he gave up. He couldn't do it. He wasn't normally a quitter but sometimes you just had to cut your losses and walk away. He wasn't sure he was prepared for anything else tonight. "Just promise me that you'll never try to make sex with anyone but me." At the very least if he put that restriction in place he could at least control her.

"Of course! Naruto-sama is the only one for Musubi!" Musubi agreed happily. Musubi frowned for a second as a thoughtful look came over her face, "What about Hanabi? Can I make sex with Hanabi as well?"

Naruto's mind ran straight into another wall. The Log damn it all he was going to have another mental breakdown at any moment. At least this one wasn't as bad as before as it promised some very pleasant, if not perverted, dreams. Being sandwiched between Musubi and Hanabi was not altogether an unpleasant thought.

"Only if I'm there as well." Naruto said sadly in resignation. He'd given up trying to correct Musubi for tonight. He just couldn't handle anymore. Hanabi can sort it all out later.

"Oh will this be like that Threesome thing that Hanabi talked about?" Musubi asked eagerly. She loved to expand her knowledge and understanding and Naruto made things so easy to understand.

Naruto let out another long, drawn out sigh, "Yes… yes it is."

"Yay! I can't wait."

"Musubi…" Naruto sighed again as he gently pulled himself out of Musubi. He was tired but more than anything he needed to clean Musubi up and then get some fresh air. His Sekirei looked up at him expectantly, heedless to the small trickle that flowed from her. "Let's just get cleaned up and get back to sleep. It's still too early to be up yet."

"Alright!"

**x~X~x**

Naruto sighed as he leaned against the post that held up the overhang above the outside walkway. It was a nice night out. Despite the light pollution of the city Naruto could still see many of the stars in the sky. A bright half-moon shined down upon the city in the sea of stars. It was peaceful here. One could almost forget that he was in the middle of a tournament that pits one Sekirei against another in a battle to be the last one standing.

Musubi was asleep upstairs in their futon. He had placed a mild sleep inducing Genjutsu on her before he had put her to sleep. He wasn't proficient in Genjutsu, he'd never be able to use anything above a Rank D or anything that affected a wide area, but he had some knowledge and skill.

"It's a cold night tonight; you should take care if you wander too far." A voice called out from behind him.

Naruto turned his head and watched as Miya ease her way out of the house onto the porch. Her hair was damp and she was dressed in a simple bathrobe. Miya had probably thrown it quickly when she sensed him walk past the bath. It was hard to tell if she had anything on under it or not and he quickly steered his mind onto a different course less she read it. She seemed to have a knack for that.

Her presence here both was and wasn't a surprise to him. She was as aware and silent as the best of the ANBU and appeared to be able to hide her presence just as well. It was obvious to him she wasn't just your average land lady.

"I'll keep that in mind." Naruto said as he turned to stare back up at the stars. "No lecture? No chastisement?" He'd be foolish to think that Miya was unaware of what happened within her own home. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew every detail, at least visible detail, that had occurred in his room.

"Oh? Do you want me to?" Miya asked curiously. A small grin creased her face as she brought her hand up to her mouth. "Ufufufu, I wasn't aware that Uzumaki-san was a masochist, to so enjoy my beatings as to ask for more." She teased him mercilessly.

Naruto chuckled, "No, nothing like that." Lewd activities were prohibited within Izumo Inn. He hadn't thought Miya to be one to let her rules be broken so blatantly.

Miya sat down on the edge of porch, folding her legs beneath her as she sat in the saiza position. "You were distracted at dinner, I was curious. Some things just need to happen." She didn't elaborate any more than that. She didn't need to. Naruto had understood what she was talking about well enough. "Did you have a nice chat?"

"Yes, I will save both of them." Naruto said as he looked down at Miya. He could see down the front of her bath robe. It took everything he had to keep his eyes on her face.

Miya gave Naruto a gentle smile, "Thank you."

The two of them just rested there in silence for a while, enjoying the nice quiet night and each other's presence in equal quantities. It wasn't very often that Naruto took the time to just sit back and do nothing like this. It was nice every now and then, especially when shared with someone else who could equally appreciate the quiet night.

However Naruto hadn't come out to simply waste the night away beside Miya, as much as he enjoyed it. While it was nice to relax he still needed to clear his head and as odd as it sounded a nice jog was through the brisk night air was what he had in mind.

As Naruto moved to leave he felt a gentle hand lay on his arm. He turned to look at Miya who returned the look with an indecipherable gaze. "They all need saving." Miya whispered softly before she stood and headed back inside the Inn.

Naruto started to think that Miya was something far more than he had originally thought. But that didn't matter. Regardless of Miya's words he was never one to turn away from someone in need.

If Miya felt the Sekirei needed saving, then he would save them. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to cut too many down to save the rest.

**x~X~x**

Naruto didn't really have a destination in mind. To be honest he just needed to clear his head and nothing did that better for him than mindless training and exercise. As he jumped from one building to the next he noticed he was rapidly approach a small park. Thinking a change of pace would be good he leaped clear over the residential building across the road from the park and landed on the side walk.

He slowed down from the all-out sprint that he had been crossing the rooftops with and settled with a light jog. There shouldn't be anyone here but there was no need to startle someone if there was. Having someone see him run past them faster than those cars would start all sorts of rumours he didn't want to have spread around.

The air suddenly grew a little colder which brought Naruto's focus back. He sensed the area around him and noticed a strong chakra signal nearby. It didn't feel too good either, as if it was strained and trapped.

That wasn't a good thing, and neither was the other, even larger chakra presence, that was rapidly closing in on the position of the first one.

Naruto thought about the situation for a moment. It had bad news written all over it but he never turned away from someone in need and Miya's words came back to him. Save them she had told him. It was hard to tell what kind of situation would arise from this but Shinobi tend to develop a heightened sixth sense due to their line of work.

And his sixth sense was telling him that there was something definitely off with this situation.

He made up his mind he shot through the park quickly. He wanted to get to the smaller chakra signature first. If his pace across the rooftops had been fast, it was nothing compared to the blistering pace he now carved through the park. He was nothing more than a blur as he easily matched the speeds of his old friend Lee. Although Lee could still surpass this level if he opened his celestial gates.

It was still going to be close. The second signature had been a lot closer to the first before Naruto had made the decision to interfere.

With one last final burst of speed Naruto appeared in the center of the park right beside a downed woman. She was gorgeous if Naruto's eye for fine women was anything to go by. He was getting the feeling that all Sekirei were unbelievably hot just like all the Kunoichi of his time were. The woman had short, light brown hair and brown eyes. Enormous breasts that seemed to almost overflow and burst out from the button up white shirt she was half wearing jutted from her chest gloriously as they defied gravity. Aside from that she wasn't wearing anything aside from a pair of simple white panties. If her large chakra source wasn't a dead give-away the Sekirei crest emblazoned on her forehead would have been a dead give-away as to what she was.

She was also hurt if the blood on her shirt was anything to go by.

It also appeared that Naruto had arrived not a moment too soon. There from across the open space in the park two individuals approached him and the Sekirei at his feet.

The first individual was the shorter of the two and appeared to be dressed in a completely white suit topped with a cravat. He had soft brown hair and carried the air of a rich spoiled child. The way he appeared to have his arms crossed in front of him as he pouted at Naruto only emphasized the point.

The second individual was taller and from what Naruto could sense far more dangerous. He was definitely a Sekirei and a powerful one at that. Unlike Yashima this one looked as if he had far more experience and control with his abilities. He didn't have the naïve look on his face that most Sekirei he had encountered did. He had the look of someone that had been through a war. There was also a sword at the man's waist that signaled that he was a swordsman of some calibre. The sword bearing Sekirei had messy silver hair and grey eyes. He was dressed with a black outfit that had the front cut opened and crisscrossed with straps. His ensemble was topped by an orange scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

"Miss, you should hide somewhere, I don't like the feel of those two." Naruto said as he waved his hand over at the new arrivals.

The woman looked up at him with listless, lifeless eyes as if she no longer had any reason, or desire, to exist.

Naruto let out a mental sigh. He had seen those eyes before. He had encountered many people that had looked like that over the course of the war. People adapted to the horrors of war differently. There were the 'lucky' ones that lost their precious things slowly over time and were able to adjust. And then there were those that lost everything all at once. Those were the ones that hurt Naruto the most; people that had given up on hope, people who had lost the will to live, because it was simply too painful to try.

The pair that slowly approached him appeared to have heard him as the shorter of the two addressed him. "Ah, good evening sir, I assure you that I wish no harm on Akitsu. She is hurt and I simply wish to bring her home to help her." Naruto wasn't entirely sure of that. Despite the young teenager's polite tone the way he looked at Akitsu, like she was a prize to be won, didn't sit well with him.

"I appreciate your concern but I think she needs to be taken to a hospital, not a private residence." Naruto returned. He prayed that this wouldn't escalate. He really didn't need any more issues to deal with today. Today was already been one to remember. Naruto stepped in front of the brown haired Sekirei and placed himself between them.

The boy sighed as he rested the back of his hand against his waist. "I see you're not going to be very accommodating. I was even polite. Please, I don't like to use force if I don't have to." That was a blatant lie and they all knew it. Naruto could tell that by the look the child had in his eyes. The young rich kid was someone that was used to getting everything his way no matter how he had to do it.

To emphasis the point his Sekirei, Mutsu, stepped forward and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Naruto sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today; this was just not his day.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Just a thing on what Naruto did with Yume and Musubi. It may not actually be plausible for that to occur, but just accept that it did. I needed the meeting to occur and I wanted it to sound as plausible as possible. I was tempted to not even try and explain what was going on but tried something anyways.

And as for why Miya didn't beat the crap out of Naruto for doing 'illicit activities' within Izumo Maison. Well Miya is willing to look the other way if there's an important enough reason. While Miya couldn't hear anything that went on inside Naruto's mind she did see the Tama transfer to and from Naruto. She's basically looking the other way this time because of the seriousness of the situation.


	10. Chapter 9: The Gathering Shadows

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Note: I'm of the opinion that certain single digit Sekirei should have been far more powerful than the anime/manga has thus far described them. Anyone who was part of the disciplinary squad (first or second iteration) should be able to totally destroy anyone that wasn't (with the exception of Matsu). Anyone that can go toe to toe with an army and come out unscathed is on an entirely different level than everyone else. Not only is the skill and power there, but the experience is as well.**

**And yay! I broke 100k words with this chapter!**

**Also, I've read the latest few chapters of Sekirei and all I have to say is BS. I already know what's going to happen. Regardless the biggest BS of the entire thing is where the hell did the crashed spaceship go? They never actually say what happened to it. Minako finds it, discovers Sekirei and then poof the spaceship magically disappears. Did he dismantle it and create an underground lab using its parts? Was the ship used as a lab in and of itself? If either are the case where the hell did they go? Because up until like a year before the manga starts all adjustments were done on Kamikura Island. Until I get some answers I'm disregarding this entire arc of Sekirei.**

**Review Responses: **Well I got far more positive responses last chapter, anyways just to clear one thing up, it wasn't 'sleep-sex' per-say. Yume can take control of Musubi's body when she's asleep, she can do it when she's awake as well but it's easier when she's asleep. That wasn't Musubi that Naruto entered, it was Yume. Yume took control of Musubi's body for a bit there.

Was it just for sexual comedy? A little, yes, but later on you'll understand that there is more to it than that.

**Chapter 9: The Gathering Shadows**

History had been one of the few subjects that Naruto had always liked when he was at the ninja academy. It wasn't that he particularly liked learning but there were so many interesting stories he could follow and people he could idolize, like his father before he knew he was such for example. Even outside of the great people there were many interesting events to read about such as the Great Shinobi Wars, the Clan Wars and dating even farther back with the Sage of the Six Paths.

Because of the interesting history of his own world, the Elemental Nations, learning the history of this new land had been a top priority for Naruto. While Hanabi had been more keen on learning about present day customs and etiquette so that she could better fit in, Naruto had been more interested in learning about and reading all the interesting historical events that took place in this new land they now called home.

He was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed in what he had discovered in his search for good stories. He hadn't been pleased that he had to go back almost sixty years to find the first interesting read, and then it had been about how the nation had catastrophically lost a war because it stupidly picked a fight with an enemy it had no real intelligence on and promptly got spanked.

That was the first thing any shinobi worth their salt did, although it took many years and the loss of some close friends before Naruto learned that lesson, collect information on one's enemies.

Thankfully beyond that however once he got into the Edo period things started to look up with conflict more along the lines of what he was used to back in the Elemental Nations. There were even references to shinobi which he found exciting. There wasn't any indication that chakra was used back then but any good shinobi worth their salt would have taken their secrets to their grave, and Naruto was positive that's what they had done since no one these days seemed to know anything about 'being' a shinobi.

Which brings us to the here and now and it still amazed Naruto just how carefree these people truly were. He was practically walking right under the noses of all these security guards and not a single one of them noticed him. If shinobi had still been common he would have been caught being this brazen long ago.

I mean all they had to do was look up.

Naruto just shook his head sadly as another pair of security guards passed beneath him. At least they were diligent in what little they did put effort into although they didn't do much more then check the locks on the doors of the warehouses they passed. All they had to do to see Naruto was look up. He was simply sitting on the roof with his feet dangling over the edge.

There was a map sitting beside him, nailed to the roof with kunai and a little bit of wind chakra. The map had a chart of all the bays, seas, and the ocean surrounding Japan. The map was your standard depth chart citing the various depths along with warnings for known shoals and sand banks.

It was also heavily marked up with a red marker Naruto had 'liberated' while gathering information. He didn't have enough chakra to go through with the next step of the plan but that was alright. He had narrowed it down to three possible locations. While one was further out than he would have liked, the three locations were all within two days running distance. Well at least two days for a shinobi like him.

"This should be enough for boss to handle the rest." The Naruto clone murmured quietly to himself.

When his creator had learned from Musubi about Kamikura Island he knew he had to get there himself. That was when he had been created. He was supposed to get to the island, discovered what he could, and then dispel himself to send the information back to his creator.

Unfortunately the clone didn't realize until he had reached the coast and was about to head out that he hadn't a clue where to start looking. From the world map he had seen of this place there was a vast ocean out there and without a direction to start looking in Naruto could spam clones for the next year and still not find it.

That was when the clone sat back and decided to actually think for a moment. He didn't like doing it too often since he was more of an instinctual creature than a logical one, being Hokage hadn't really changed that too much except under extreme circumstances and he definitely didn't think this could be considered as an extreme circumstance.

He thought long and hard on the whole island thing. From what Hanabi had told him the entire world had essentially been explored and tamed over a hundred years ago, yet Kamikura Island wasn't discovered until just recently.

Either that means it was simply not discovered until recently or a recent event caused it to appear in a place that didn't have it before. There was no way of figuring that out without additional information however. Thankfully he didn't need that additional information to figure out where the island actually was, it was merely food for thought.

And that brought forth the reason why Naruto was sitting on top of a warehouse in the shipyards of Shinto Teito. He had come here for the sea charts. Any company worth its salt had a map of routes that their ships would take and more than likely a means to track said ships in case they straight off course. He wasn't too interested in tracking the ships, but the routes were key.

So that's what he had been doing for the majority of the afternoon and well into the evening: Using his shinobi skills to break into the various offices to pilfer the sea charts. The various shipping companies kept their most up to date information on their computers, something Naruto hadn't found the time to learn anything about, but they all kept a hardcopy of the routes, updated yearly, just in case something happened to the data on the drives.

Always backup your information in as many locations and formats as you could, it was common sense, in case something happened to it. Fortunately for Naruto these people didn't take it one step further like any good shinobi would. He would have locked the information up and explodified it if someone tampered with the lock safe keeping the data. No one from the Elemental Nations would have simply kept such valuable information tacked to a wall like some of the companies did.

Ah well, their stupidity was his gain really. The people of Japan were so soft these days. Most of them wouldn't survive a week in the Elemental Nations. Not even the villages were perfect havens despite how much they tried to portray themselves as such. One wrong move in the wrong part of Konoha would have seen you mugged and murdered before you even realized you had gone to the wrong part of town.

All this led to the findings Naruto had before him. Naruto had been able to find a fresh unmarked map of Japan and the surrounding bodies of water. Using the information on the sea charts of the various companies he had 'acquired' he had created what one could say was a master list of all the routes the various companies used to ship their goods.

When all the routes were laid on top of each other he noticed several key areas off the coast of Japan where no ships travelled through. There were actually many such areas but few large enough to contain an island and enough open water as to keep the island out of sight as the ships moved past the area.

It essentially boiled it down to seven locations. He was able to filter it even further by looking into anomalies. First off he knew that Kamikura Island wouldn't be on any maps. With the money and influence MBI possessed, and its apparent desire of keeping the Sekirei Plan a secret, the island wasn't probably listed on any maps. This meant that if a sea route had a sudden bough in it as if it was avoiding a particular spot, and that spot didn't show any known islands, there was a good chance that something was there that someone didn't want the average person to know about and the shipping companies were being paid off to avoid that area.

That boiled it down to just three locations. One in the Sea of Japan and two east in the Pacific Ocean.

Three locations were good enough. Boss Naruto could invest more chakra into three clones than seven allowing them to last long enough to get out to those three locations to explore them. One of them was a fairly long distance out.

He also hoped that the island itself wasn't any further than four hundred miles off coast otherwise they'd never find it. At that range in the Pacific Ocean the shipping routes become so widespread that you could hide entire chains of islands between each route. They'd never find it if it was out there.

The clone stiffed as his senses kicked into overdrive. He didn't know why he hadn't sensed it earlier. The killing intent was incredible, akin to what he was used to feeling from S-Class criminals back in the Elemental Nations. It had the distinct feeling of fighting one of the legendary seven swordsmen like Kisame or Zabuza. It was that same kind of bloodlust.

Naruto's clone blamed his failure to notice the approach on his low chakra reserves and his own complacency. He would be lying if he didn't admit that the softness of his new home had made him somewhat lack on his attentiveness. Even with all the Sekirei he had met, he hadn't seen or felt any that were of any particular threat to him. He had been out doing such mundane things for so long he hadn't expected such a swift attack in such a soft city.

He was going to have to change that.

Because now there was someone bearing down on him fast; incredibly fast. Naruto could probably count on two hands the number of people he'd ever 'known' about that could match that kind of speed. As a clone he lacked the durability to Kyubify himself and he didn't have the time or assistance to gather any nature chakra, not that there was much in the area for him to absorb. The city was virtually dead when it came to natural energies. So long as he was within the city limits that method of powering up was nullified.

Progress always seemed to come at the cost of something.

Well he could lament his failures later. If what he felt coming was any indication he wasn't going to win in the condition he was now. He had to make sure all evidence of what he was doing was destroyed before he was.

Naruto shot up and dodged to the left, quickly palming a kunai in his hand. He started to make some one-handed seals for a very basic fire starting ninjutsu as he turned towards the map he had nailed to the rooftop. He had to destroy the evidence.

Unfortunately his attacker was far too good to allow him the time to do that.

The assailant was able to perfectly guess just how and where he would dodge. Before he had even got halfway through the seals a sword went through his back and out his chest, just barely missing his vitals.

Not that it mattered, that kind of strike was all it took to destroy a clone. With a poof and a cloud of smoke the clone of Naruto dispersed before he even had a chance to see just who it was that had attacked him or to destroy the evidence of his doings.

"Aw, how disappointing. After everything I've seen and heard about him I was hoping for so much more." A soft feminine voice said as she slowly sheathed her sword. She turned to look at the map that was slowly beginning to lift off the rooftop as the kunai that had been used to nail it to the rooftop had dispelled with their owner. A smirk crossed her face as she noted the markings on the map and quickly understood what was going on. "Ufufufu, Such a curious little man."

A small gust of wind lifted the map into the air but before it could get anywhere it was cut into ribbons as a sword flashed through it faster than the untrained eye could follow.

"I don't want the director to interrupt my fun when I meet him next; no need to let that man know what Naruto-kun is up to." She licked her lips as she turned her head to stare out across the water, "Besides, I wasn't asked to recover anything, only to dispose of a little rat snooping around. Those solid copies of his are interesting, but I do so hope he puts up a better fight in the future although I'm sure that I can find some way to motivate him if he doesn't."

With a grin the Sekirei turned and shot off into the night disappearing from the shipyards and returning to MBI Headquarters.

And not a single security guard noticed that something had been amiss. Progress always came at the cost of something.

**x~X~x**

Naruto blinked violently for a moment as the memories of his dispelled clone slammed back into his mind with more force than usual. When a clone dispels on its own the memories are gently returned and it's easy to process, provided they don't dispel themselves in large numbers. However when a clone is killed the information has a slightly stronger kick to it when it returns on account of the suddenness. Normally it's not an issue but this particular clone had half a day's worth of reconnaissance information stored within it so that made it particularly more difficult for Naruto to deal with.

He disliked thinking.

Which meant he would deal with the information he had just received and the unknown attacker at a later date. He had a confrontation to deal with right here and now, although the fact that this Sekirei before him also wielded a sword was just a bit disconcerting. Naruto was really hoping that he wasn't nearly as fast or as skilled as the individual that had dispatched his clones.

It's not that he was worried about himself per-say, he was more worried about the woman at his feet, and he didn't want to tear up the park. There weren't enough places in the city where nature existed for him to wantonly destroy the few that existed. He had a tendency to overdue things when he really got into it.

Naruto raised his hand as if he was asking permission to ask a question, "Before we get to the whole fighting gig I have a quick question. Do you know of any other Sekirei that wields swords?" Naruto asked the Sekirei Mutsu. It was probably hoping for too much that the people before him would know of every Sekirei, or that if they did they'd be willing to tell him.

Mutsu glanced over at his Ashikabi who in turn frowned at Naruto, "So you're an Ashikabi as well." The spoiled child asked, although it was more of a statement since he had come to his own conclusion. He glanced down at the Sekirei at Naruto's feet, "If you're that curious I'll tell you what I know, provided you stand aside and let me take that lost bird at your feet to add to my collection."

Naruto frowned at the young teen. He really didn't like the kid's attitude. It seemed as if he viewed the Sekirei as nothing more than possessions. He's probably one of the people Seo had warned him about earlier, one of those he had saved Musubi from. If that was the case then he was now doubly glad he had accepted Musubi. He didn't like thinking he was better than others but he was pretty sure it wasn't too hard for anyone to be better than this spoiled brat before him.

"Sorry, but I'm not that interested. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough on my own." Naruto replied with a shrug, "I mean whoever it was, they just killed me so they will definitely be back to finish what they started."

Mutsu and the young teen gave Naruto a curious if not confused look. They were both now starting to wonder if Naruto was all there, especially since he didn't appear the least bit affected by the threatening posture and the weapon that Mutsu possessed.

"I… see." The kid stroked the cravat around his neck. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to add Akitsu to your collection, she belongs in mine and mine alone. Mutsu! Get rid of him!"

"Yes Hayato-sama." Mutsu said as he drew his sword. Naruto wasn't an expert on swords but even he could tell that it was a very high quality blade. He couldn't see any visible imperfections in the blade and it appeared to have been kept in top condition. The edge was incredibly fine and he could sense a small coating of chakra covering it. It didn't appear to have any elemental affinity; it just appeared to be a fine sheen of pure energy. An untrained person wouldn't have seen it but for anyone with chakra sensing abilities it was definitely noticeable.

"She's not a possession to be owned!" Naruto spat out angrily as he settled into a fighting stance. This is why he hated rich people. They were always so full of themselves. He had never known someone that was rich that wasn't a complete stuck up prick, Hanabi and her sister being the sole exceptions. There was just something about money that made people think they were better than everyone else. "She's a person like you or I, she deserves to make her own choices!"

"It's you that doesn't understand! The director says this is a game! That means the Sekirei are trophies and collectibles that you get in that game! You're completely misunderstanding everything about this and I'm done trying to convince you otherwise." Hayato snapped his fingers and pointed at Naruto, "Mutsu, get rid of this Ashikabi already. I have a prize to claim."

Naruto was certain that the Sekirei Mutsu wanted to very much do just that but it looked as if he was hesitating slightly. Naruto knew better however. He had seen the look in Mutsu's eyes. He was a trained fighter, someone who had been through conflict. People that have experienced true conflict and war were able to see the signs of it in others like themselves and Naruto had no doubt that Mutsu saw that experience in his own eyes.

Combine that with the calm and collected attitude the Sekirei appeared to have and that meant Naruto couldn't count on Mutsu to make a rookie mistake such as charging in without a plan.

That was fine with Naruto however as it gave him additional time to do some planning. He didn't have any real weapons that could match a chakra enhanced sword. Sure he could fend it off with a kunai enhanced in the same manner but it didn't solve the whole reach issue, plus he was certain Mutsu was far better with that sword than he was with a kunai in close quarters.

The best way to fight Mutsu would be from a distance, but he had to protect the girl at his feet and it didn't look like she was going to be very willing to move.

This could all be summed up with a single word from his late friend: Troublesome.

Naruto almost missed it when it came. He had let his mind wander for a split second and Mutsu took advantage of it. Mutsu came up with a plan the moment Naruto's mind wandered and he stabbed the earth at his feet with the blade of his sword. The chakra enhanced blade buried up to its hilt easily as if the earth offered no resistance. With a quick jerk the experience Sekirei slashed upwards with the sword causing Naruto to jump back.

He had seen too many swords cause shockwaves and piercing winds to stand still when they were swung from a distance.

However he was ill-prepared when instead of a wave of compressed air the earth itself shot upwards in a sharp, tight, if uneven, line. It took all of Naruto's instincts and combat honed reflex to dodge the attack as he slapped both hands onto the side of the earth as it rose beneath him and used a massive pulse of chakra to propel him to the side.

Mutsu rushed towards Naruto to take advantage of his supposed defenceless posture in midair. However Naruto wasn't your average individual and as he drifted through the air his hands flashed through a series of hand-seals. "**Futon: Daitoppa**!" Naruto shouted as he gathered up and expelled the necessary chakra for the Ninjutsu. A massive gust of wind blasted forward and knocked Mutsu backwards into the air.

Mutsu was shocked to say the least from the look on his face but he didn't let the shock dampen his abilities. He righted himself in mid-air and landed safely a hundred meters back looking little worse for wear. Naruto grimaced as he saw how little damage it had appeared to do. Mutsu seemed to have weathered it far better than anyone before now.

Especially since the air pressure that had slammed into Mutsu was strong enough to tear the ground apart and toss all the vegetation into the air. The park now looked like a miniature tornado had just torn through it.

Damn Sekirei and their chakra enhanced bodies.

"How do you control the wind? That shouldn't be possible. No Ashikabi has that ability and the only Sekirei with that ability is Kazehana." Mutsu demanded. The normally cool headed Sekirei was disturbed at what he had seen. It was definitely outside the box of what he had previously thought possible.

"I can do far more than just that!" Naruto shouted as his hands flashed through some more signs.

Just from the brief exchange Naruto already knew that Mutsu wasn't going to be someone that would go down easily, not without enhancements from Kurama or Natural Chakra. The former wouldn't bother unless it was absolutely required, or unless he was upset at someone, and the later was something he wouldn't be able to use while in Shinto Teito. Even while within the confines of the park everything was too unnatural, there wasn't enough energy swirling around to sustain the Sage Mode for even five seconds.

As Naruto flashed through the eighteen hand signs required for the technique he couldn't help but think of the irony behind this situation. The last time he had seen this technique used in battle had been against another powerful swordsman.

And said swordsman was also on the receiving end of this Ninjutsu. "**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted as he completed the technique.

Massive pillars of water burst from the ground as the water mains that ran under the pack exploded under the pressure of Naruto's chakra. Mutsu, Hayato and even Akitsu looked up in awe as the water merged together over Naruto's head. The massive formation of water shot forward in a massive tidal wave that destroyed everything in its path as it headed towards Mutsu.

Naruto saw Mutsu narrow his eyes before he was swallowed up by the surge of water. Naruto only kept the technique up for a few moments. To keep it up for much longer would cause major damage not just to the park but the neighbouring areas as well.

That was when Naruto remembered something. Mutsu was an earth based Sekirei. Earth was strong versus water.

"Shit!" Naruto shouted as he dodged to the side just in time to avoid an earthen projectile. Naruto had just enough time to notice that Mutsu had survived his attack by erecting a barrier in the ground that diverted the water around him.

Naruto would have admired the simplicity, yet effectiveness, of the defense if it weren't for the fact that it gave Mutsu the perfect opportunity to counter-attack afterwards.

Mutsu was fast, Naruto had to give him that, as the Sekirei closed the distance between them in an instant. A wind-laced kunai met chakra enhanced blade with a loud clang as Naruto summoned a kunai from his wrist just in time to block the attack that was aimed for his neck.

Mutsu spun his blade and slashed at Naruto from a different angle. A second wind-reinforced kunai appeared in Naruto's off-hand as he blocked that strike as well. For the next few moments the two were a whirlwind of movement as they fought each other in close combat. The screech of metal of metal could be clearly heard as Mutsu hacked, slashed, stabbed and danced around Naruto with an elegance that would have made professional dancers green with envy.

Naruto for his credit managed to keep up for the most part. Every attack Mutsu came at Naruto with was expertly blocked or redirected away from the blonde. He knew however that he couldn't keep this up forever. While he was good at close quarters combat he was not a Kinjutsu expert and he lacked the reach that Mutsu had. While he could block and defend it was impossible to exploit what few openings appeared. He didn't have the reach to hit Mutsu without over-extending his arms in such a way that left him vulnerable to a devastating counter-attack.

This meant that Mutsu had him locked in a stalemate and that left his Ashikabi free to do whatever he wanted, that was something Naruto couldn't allow.

Suddenly Naruto was replaced with a log as he did a seal-less **Kawarimi no Jutsu**. Mutsu, unable to stop his attack cut the log in half. He jumped back in surprise at the sudden change of pace and quickly looked around.

He didn't have to look for Naruto long as the broken log was replaced with Naruto again as he did a second **Kawarimi no Jutsu**, however it hadn't come armed with Kunai. "**Fūton: Shinkūgyoku!**" Naruto shouted as he shot out multiple bullets of air.

Mutsu began backpedaling as he dodged between the various blasts of air and deflecting the ones he couldn't avoid with his sword. Sweat was beginning to bead down the Sekirei's face as he concentrated hard on avoiding the shots.

Naruto could only growl internally as he watched Mutsu weave around his attack. He took a quick look around him and stopped firing bullets of air at Mutsu. Naruto had to end this battle now before anymore of the park got destroyed. He did not want to stay here long enough for the authorities to identify him as the reason the park got destroyed.

Also the longer they dragged this out the greater the likelihood of an innocent bystander getting caught up in the crossfire. There weren't any here at the moment but with his luck there was a pair of love-struck birds just waltzing through the park ready to get hit by a stray ninjutsu.

And the best way to get them to leave would be to make them prioritize something other than Akitsu.

Like their lives.

And since Mutsu was taking too long to die there was only one other option.

Naruto looked over at Hayato who was now separated from Mutsu and threw a kunai directly at the young teen. Naruto's hands flashed through another series of hand signs as he gathered up his chakra, "**Kage Kunai no Jutsu!**"

There was no longer a single kunai flying towards Hayato Mikogami, there were hundreds.

Mutsu's eyes widened in shock as he saw the wall of flying death heading towards his Ashikabi. With speed that shock even Naruto for a moment, it was almost on par with the individual that had taken out his clone, Mutsu appeared in front of Hayato.

The Sekirei quickly sheathed his sword and slammed the butt of the sheath into the ground beneath him. "Smashing Point!" He said as a wall of earth and rock rose up around him just before the kunai reached their target and embedded harmlessly into the impromptu barrier.

That was what Naruto had been hoping for. He had noticed the speed that Mutsu had displayed earlier when he had closed in on Naruto after the water strike. He knew that Mutsu, if he prioritized the life of his Ashikabi over all else, would have been able to intercept the kunai in time. He didn't want to kill the kid, despite how much he disliked him; it was more of a warning. If he really wanted to kill Hayato Naruto would have infused the kunai with wind chakra.

Naruto just didn't expect Mutsu to be quite 'that' fast. Naruto made note of that in case there were any future encounters.

Naruto's hands flashed through another series of signs. Now that he had shown he would harm his master if this continued it was time to drive them away from Akitsu and give them further reason to depart. "**Doton: Yomi Numa!**" Naruto slammed his hands onto the ground and fired off the Ninjutsu.

The swamp spread out rapidly as it approached the Sekirei and his Ashikabi. Naruto had hoped that Mutsu would grab his young charge and flee. Unfortunately Mutsu wasn't going to back down that easily, especially when he fought against his speciality. The barrier around Mutsu and Hayato fell in time for Naruto to see Mutsu slash his unsheathed sword upwards again through the earth.

Another line of sharp jagged rocks erupted from the ground and shot towards Naruto. The jagged rocks split the swamp in half as Naruto's chakra was disrupted by Mutsu's. Naruto grit his teeth and pumped more chakra into his Ninjutsu. It was enough, but just barely, as the line of jagged spikes ended just two feet from where he was kneeled on the ground. The swamp itself had been halted prematurely; it had only begun to encircle the area in which Mutsu guarded his Ashikabi.

That could have gone a lot better, but at least Naruto gotten his point across. Or at least he hoped he did. Naruto made another note to himself not to try and match earth jutsu's with this particular Sekirei. It just did not end well.

Naruto and Mutsu stared at each other intensely; both of them still had their knees on the ground due to their prior techniques, both waited for the other to make a move. This fight had not gone as either of them had planned.

Mutsu had expected a wet-behind the ears bravado filled Ashikabi. Instead of discovered a battle hardened warrior with skills that went far beyond anything an Ashikabi had a right to possess.

Naruto had expected an average Sekirei. He knew what Musubi was capable of, had a taste of Yashima's capabilities were and got a tentative feel for the two that had accompanied Higa a few days prior. He wasn't prepared for someone like Mutsu who was obviously on a completely different level.

The tension was broke by a new voice.

"Why… Why do you fight for me…?" Akitsu asked emotionlessly. The sound of the new voice caused both combatants to turn and look at her. She seemed to address both sides, "I'm a failure, broken."

That was the first time Akitsu had spoken all night and it almost broke Naruto's heart to hear it. She sounded so dead, so hopeless. It wasn't right for her to sound that way. Naruto had risked his life to save people that sounded more hopeful and alive than her.

And the words reminded him of her, just before she had died. He had been unable to save her.

"I still want you as part of my collection!" Hayato said as he stamped his foot on the ground from behind the protective back of his Sekirei. "I don't care if you're broken or a failure!"

Well at least he was honest. That actually put him just slightly above most of the rich people Naruto had encountered over the course of his life. But that still didn't excuse him for treating Sekirei like they were nothing more than a collectible.

With a quick application of shunshin Naruto appeared before Akitsu. He knelt down and gently placed both his hands on her shoulders. He ignored the shocked look on Mutsu's face and grinding teeth of the spoiled kid. "I don't know who told you that you were broken, or that you were a failure, and I don't care." Naruto started softly as he stared at her intently. His voice should have been barely audible but for some reason nature hushed and his voice carried further than it should. "Failing is a part of life. You don't give up just because you failed once, you learn and you grow and you become better than before. I know what it's like to fail, but I never gave up. You say you are a failure? I say prove everyone wrong. Prove to them that you aren't a failure, not anymore."

Akitsu stared up at Naruto with something more than just hopelessness and despair in her eyes. There were some elements of surprise and confusion; she had never had someone speak so passionately about her before. He genuinely seemed to care about her well-being. Even if she didn't want to give up, she was broken; there was no reason to hope for a better future.

As if he read her mind Naruto continued on and followed Akitsu's train of thought, "Broken? You think it's alright to quit just because you are broken? Everyone and everything breaks at some point in their life." He himself had broken down after Hinata had died; thankfully he had people around then that cared about him and helped piece him back together. The best way to honor their memory was to return the favor whenever he could, "If something has been broken, then it can be fixed. To consider something broken is to imply that there is a fixed state that can be, or was once, achieved." Naruto brought his hand up and gently brushed the Sekirei symbol emblazoned on Akitsu's forehead. She flinched slightly but with just that single touch of the crest Naruto could tell that there was something wrong. While it would take some time to break it down fully he noticed right away that it seemed to affect the flow of her chakra in a negative way, "I know a lot about the energy that powers a Sekirei's ability and I know even more about seals. This Sekirei symbol is a seal or I've never seen one before, different from what I'm used to but a seal never-the-less." Naruto gave Akitsu a gentle smile and a thumbs up, "Give me a little time and I can fix whatever this crest is doing to affect you negatively."

Mutsu frowned at Naruto, "She's been discarded because she has winged herself. She can never find her Ashikabi." Mutsu glanced down at Akitsu with something akin to sympathy in his eyes.

Naruto sighed as he looked over at the silver haired Sekirei, "I understand the words you're saying but the meaning of what you're getting at escapes me." Naruto looked back into Akitsu's eyes. There inside he could see the beginnings of what was hope, "But what I do know is that I can sense that this crest on her forehead is messing up her chakra. With a little time alone with Akitsu I can figure out exactly how. That means I can either fix the problem, or find a way to bypass it." Naruto turned and grinned at Mutsu and his Ashikabi, "Everyone else may have given up on Akitsu, but I refuse to."

A single tear escape from Akitsu's eye as she continued to stare at her Ashikabi. She didn't understand exactly what Naruto was getting at but he honestly believed he could help her, fix her. And for the first time since she became broken she decided to believe in someone else.

Akitsu shifted for the first time since she had collapsed in the park and sat before Naruto in the seiza position, "What are your orders my Ashikabi?"

"No, no, no no!" Hayato cried out as he stamped his foot in anger, "She's mine! Mutsu get rid of that blonde haired annoyance and take Akitsu!"

Mutsu frowned as he looked back and forth between Naruto and Akitsu. The blonde haired Ashikabi had been surprisingly difficult to combat earlier and if Akitsu decided to join in on his side he was going to be at a distinct disadvantage. He did not look forward to combating both a scrapped number and that strange Ashikabi while trying to protect his master at the same time.

And as if to emphasis his point a massive spike of ice erupted in front of him as Akitsu made her presence known.

Mutsu buckled his sheath back onto his waist and sheathed his sword. "We need to go Mikogami-sama." Mutsu said as he turned back to his Ashikabi and picked him up. It was time to cut their losses and get out. The blonde haired Ashikabi was too much of an unknown to fight him alongside Akitsu.

"Put me down! I want her! He stole her from us, that's not how you play this game!"

Mutsu ignored the complaints of his Ashikabi. He turned to Naruto and Akitsu. He tipped his head slightly as he bid them farewell and jumped away. He headed back to the limo that Hayato had used to arrive at the park.

Naruto sighed in relief as Mutsu and his Ashikabi left. He wasn't sure how much more the park could have taken before it was completely trashed. Although now that Naruto finally had time to look round at the devastation a sweat drop rolled down his back.

Maybe the park hadn't escaped total trashing.

Naruto turned to Akitsu, "Ah, I think we should leave. Besides I want to get you cleaned up. Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Akitsu looked at Naruto and shook her head, "Ah, it's not my blood."

Naruto blinked in surprise, "Oh, I see, well come on, let's go." Naruto turned towards Izumo Inn and extended his hand back to the brown haired Sekirei.

Akitsu let a small smile crease her face as she took Naruto's hand. Naruto was glad this was over with but one small little concerning thought did trickle across his mind.

What was Hanabi going to say about this?

More specifically, what was she going to do to him?

**x~X~x**

Naruto didn't wake up until late the next day and oddly enough no one had barged into his room to wake him up. It was rapidly approaching noon if the bright light that filtered in from the cracks on the blinds were anything to go by. The rays of light didn't so much come straight at the window as they came straight down on them to create a small sliver of sunlight on the floor beneath them.

Two things came to Naruto's groggy mind immediately as he slowly woke up, he had always been a slow riser, it was a habit he had tried to break but never really quite managed unless it was an emergency.

The first was that there was a delicious smell wafting in to the room from somewhere in the Inn. It was an indication that Miya was, and perhaps still is, preparing a meal of some kind.

The second was that there were two weights pressed tightly against either side of him. His arms were trapped between two lovely bountiful mounds of flesh. This made Naruto smile a little as he brought his right hand up and began to caress the inner thigh of the person to his right.

_Hanabi must be feeling better_, Naruto thought to himself, too sleepy to realize that Hanabi was still hospitalized. He had only been able to experience this feeling for a single night before Hanabi had been injured and hospitalized so he wanted to enjoy it to the fullest again. _She's not wearing any panties_. Naruto idly noted as he slipped his fingers between her legs.

The person beside him moaned slightly and Naruto froze. It was as if a bucket of cold water had just been dumped on him and any arousal he once had disappeared in an instant.

That wasn't Hanabi's voice.

Almost dreading what he would see he slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to the right. There pressed up against him tightly with her cheeks lightly flushed with heat was the woman he had saved last night, Akitsu. Her eyes were open and as she watched him intently. All she was wearing was one of Musubi's nightgowns although it seemed to be a little tighter on her than on Musubi due to her larger bust, as impossible as that seemed. The pair of panties that went with that particular nightgown could be seen discarded across the room.

And that brought him back to the problem at hand. He had his fingers between Akitsu's legs, not Hanabi's.

As if he had just been scalded he jerked his hand back and quickly wiped them on the futon. Naruto gulped as he gave Akitsu a nervous smile, "A-Ah, good morning Akitsu."

"Good morning Ashikabi-sama." Akitsu whispered in return.

"Ah, sorry about that I thought…" No, he couldn't say that. He'd hurt her feelings if he said he thought she was someone else, "I didn't mean…" Naruto breathed in deeply and tried again, "Akitsu, where are your panties?"

"Ah, I forgot to wear them."

A drop of sweat dripped horizontally down the back of Naruto's neck. He probably would have done a face plant as well if he wasn't already lying flat against the floor. She forgot? Who the hell forgets to wear their panties?

_Wait a minute I remember her putting them on_, Naruto glanced over at where the way panties were bunched up and the location they were currently at. They were at the base of the wall as if they had been kicked over there. Based on that information it would suggest that…

Oh damn he had the best luck with women.

"Okay… Please try to remember them in the future." He didn't let the fact that he knew what she had done bleed into his voice.

"Yes Ashikabi-sama."

Akitsu really didn't seem to be much of a conversationalist. "How long have you been awake?"

"Ah, since you laid down to sleep."

Another sweat drop rolled horizontally down Naruto's neck. He was going to dehydrate soon at this rate. How come all the women he got close to seemed to have serious personality quirks?

"You need to get some rest Akitsu. You must have had a pretty rough day yesterday."

"Ah, I'm fine. I like watching Ashikabi-sama."

"Akitsu, just call me Naruto, it sound awkward to have you call that all the time."

"Yes my Ashikabi-sama." Another sweat drop rolled down Naruto's neck. If Naruto didn't know better he'd think she was teasing him.

"You know what, let's just get up and have some breakfast." Naruto resigned himself. He was finding himself giving up more often these days. What was it about the women he found himself in the company of that just made him feel so helpless?

Akitsu nodded and slowly stood up. Naruto couldn't help but admire her figure as she did so and the arousal he had before came back in full force. Akitsu stretched as she stood and that only helped to accentuate her perfect curves. Quite frankly Naruto was amazed that such a huge chest could exist and not sag at all.

And then she started to pull her nightgown off.

"Umm, Akitsu, what are you doing?"

"This is a nightgown." Akitsu said as she finished pulling it off and carefully folded it in her hands. "It's not night."

"I'm aware of that but do you have anything else to wear?" It was rhetorical question, all she had to her name were the rags he had found her in. She shook her head negatively anyways. "Just making sure."

Naruto pulled himself from Musubi's embrace and extricated himself from the futon. He hadn't realized just how warm it had been under the blanket until he stood up. The heat from having two mature women lying beside him had basically turned the futon into a makeshift Kotatsu.

As he stood Musubi started to awaken as well. Not much woke Musubi up in the morning. The only thing that Naruto had found that did so was his lost body heat. She wearily rubbed her eyes as she blinked up at Naruto and Akitsu in confusion. Her eyes slowly drifted shut again as she started to sniff the air. Her mouth opened a little as drool began to leak out.

And then the quiet room was disturbed by the sound of a loud rumble.

"Naruto-sama…" Musubi looked up at Naruto with watery eyes. Akitsu was momentarily ignored for something more pressing.

Naruto sighed and rubbed his hand through his air, "Yes Musubi-chan, you may go ahead and see what Miya is cooking."

"Yay! Naruto-sama is nice!" Musubi cheered as she jumped up and ran out the room to go get her food.

Naruto just shook his head in helplessness and counted backwards from 5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

A loud clang resounded through the house and the sound of Miya's voice cracked through the inn. They couldn't quite make out what was being said but the dark purple aura that was even now crept around the door frame was all the evidence that Naruto needed.

A few moments later a sheepish Musubi walked back into the room as she rubbed a large bump that was starting to form on her head. "Tee-hee, I forgot about modesty."

Naruto just laughed and walked over to Musubi. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her forehead. "Oh I love you Musubi, never change please." Naruto said with a light voice. Naruto felt so light hearted right then, Musubi always seemed to brighten Naruto's day. She was like a blinding light that brought warmth and happiness into his life.

He loved Hanabi as well but that was a different kind of love. That love was a strong, passionate and mature love between two people that desperately needed each other to support one another through the storms they walked through.

Naruto and Hanabi were like two pillars leaning against each other for support while Musubi was the light that illuminated their surroundings and showed them that there was more to life than the pain they'd lived through.

Musubi blushed and returned Naruto's hug with equal fervor. Naruto knew he had said the right thing because he could literally see the happiness shooting out of Musubi's eyes.

An uncomfortable shift behind him caused Naruto to break the embrace and hold Musubi at arm's length, "Now why don't you get dressed and head back downstairs."

"Yes Naruto-sama." Musubi said a little breathily. She still remained flushed even after the embrace had been broken. She looked past Naruto for a moment and noticed Akitsu for the first time. "Oh! Naruto-sama you have another Sekirei?"

"Ah yes, I met Akitsu last night and she needed some help." Naruto stepped aside and let Musubi get a better look at Akitsu.

Musubi bounced across the room and gave Akitsu a quick hug. From the startled look on Akitsu face she obviously hadn't expected that. "Hello there Akitsu! I'm No. 88 Musubi!"

"Ah, Hello."

Musubi whirled around to face Naruto and beamed a smile at him, "I'm so glad you've winged another Sekirei!"

Akitsu looked decidedly uncomfortable after that remark so Naruto decided to cut this conversation short, "Ah yes, I'm still working on that. There are some complications but don't worry I intend to wing her as soon as I can. Now get dressed Musubi, I smell that Miya is done."

Musubi sniffed the air and her eyes widened. She had come to the same conclusion. She suddenly became a whirlwind of activity as she ran around the room. Her evening wear was tossed across the room as she jumped into her exercise outfit.

And then she was gone, dressed in under ten seconds.

"Ah, sorry about that Akitsu." Naruto said as he approached the broken Sekirei, "Musubi means well." Akitsu still looked uncomfortable. Naruto brought his hands up and placed them on her shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll find a way to fix your seal." Naruto frowned, that didn't reassure Akitsu at all.

Akitsu fidgeted a bit and looked away.

"Akitsu, what's wrong?"

For a long moment Naruto thought she'd just ignore him but finally she turned back and looked him in the eye. "Hug."

Naruto blinked in confusion for a moment before it suddenly clicked, "Oh."

That was all he said as he brought his arms around Akitsu's back and pulled her into a tight embrace. Akitsu sighed in contentment as she wrapped her arms around Naruto and laid her head against his shoulder.

Akitsu must have felt left out when he had embraced Musubi before. He'd have to be more careful about this stuff in the future, especially once Hanabi was pulled into the mix. Naruto could already see some problems that would arise in the future. Suddenly his life expectancy wasn't looking too good.

"We're going to need to get you some clothing of your own." Naruto mused, still in the embrace. He didn't want to shop for clothing again today. He had meant to see Hanabi yesterday but he had gotten swept up in events and never made it there.

"Ah, Yes"

"Maybe you could borrow some of my more lose clothing in the meantime."

"Too tight." Akitsu murmured as she rubbed her chest against his from side to side as she indicated exactly 'where' it was too tight.

"Oh, I see, wait, how do you know that my clothing is too tight? I have some pretty baggy clothing in the dresser you know."

Akitsu just blushed lightly and hugged Naruto more tightly.

Suddenly Naruto had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. What kind of woman was Akitsu anyways? For some reason Naruto had this feeling that she was far more perverted than her cold exterior would have otherwise hinted at.

Akitsu's hand dropped down his back and gently cupped his behind.

"Ok that's enough." Naruto said as he stepped back from the embrace. Naruto wasn't entirely sure but he could have sworn he had seen a ghost of a pout appear on Akitsu's face. As perverted as Naruto was there were limits to what he would do with whom and where. Engaging in illicit activities in Izumo Inn with someone he barely knew was past that limit. "I'll go ask Uzume if she has any clothing you could wear. She has to have something, and she has about the same chest size as you." Naruto was, and still is, very good at determining the chest of most women. It was a lesson Jiraiya had taught him during the training trip. He had been pissed off at the man then thinking his time had been wasted. Now he was thankful of that lesson. "If Uzume doesn't have anything then maybe Miya-san does."

Naruto was tempted to let her wear Musubi's but knowing that girl she'll burn through all the clothing in her wardrobe in a single day. Better to ask someone who won't need to change a half dozen times.

It didn't take long for Naruto to reach Uzume's room. As he knocked on the door he hoped that she was in. Miya seemed to enjoy tormenting Naruto so he knew he'd never hear the end of it from her.

Wait, he'd never hear the end of it from Uzume either.

Before Naruto could change his mind the door slid open and Uzume looked out. "Oh hey bro, what's up?" She asked curiously. She was wearing her customary jean pants and tight shirt with a star on the front of it. Naruto idly wondered if she had a dozen sets of the same clothing tucked away somewhere. She smelled far too good to be wearing the same clothing day after day.

"Can I have some of your clothing?" Naruto asked politely.

Uzume blinked in surprise before she stepped back and crossed her arms across her chest, "You pervert! You want me to strip naked for you? Miya was right! You are a beast!" Uzume looked over Naruto's shoulder and shouted, "MIYA! HELP NAR-"

Her shout got muffled as Naruto quickly ran in and covered her mouth with his hand. "Shhh! No that's not what I meant!" He saw Uzume's eyes twinkle in amusement and he knew he had been played. Oh she was going to pay for this. She was just begging for the Prank Lord Uzumaki Naruto to be unleashed upon her.

Naruto released Uzume and stepped back. He grumbled to himself as he swept a hand through his long hair. He really needed to get that cut. "I met someone last night, a woman…"

"A woman? Another? Oh you really are a player aren't you. I should watch myself or you may try and steal me from my Chiho."

Naruto growled lightly, "Stop that." Uzume laughed, "The woman was being chased, her clothing is ruined and nothing I have fit." He spat it out quickly hoping to finally explain himself before Uzume could interrupt and misinterpret what he was saying.

Again.

Uzume's laughter faded into chuckles as she gave Naruto a quick grin, "Sure, I don't mind. I have a bunch of outfits I used to dress up in for my Chiho. I'm sure one of them would fit this woman of yours…" Uzume trailed off as she stared at something behind Naruto. Her eyes had gone hard and her lips flat-lined as if she had just seen something she didn't like.

Naruto looked behind and there was Akitsu standing in all her glory out in the hallway. She didn't look even the least bit ashamed about her lack of clothing. Sometimes Naruto wondered if any Sekirei cared about their modesty. It was as if it was considered an after-thought wherever they were raised, and sometimes even forgotten.

When Naruto turned back to Uzume she was all smiles again, her earlier expression was wiped out but Naruto could still notice wariness in the eyes. "Ah, I see how this is." Uzume nodded sagely.

Naruto sighed in relief, finally. "Thanks Uzume, you're a great friend."

Uzume grinned at Naruto, "Of course I am. NARUTO YOU BEAST!" Uzume shouted and Naruto's eyes widened.

"No!" He tried to rush to Uzume but stopped when suddenly a blade appeared at his shoulder.

"Ufufufu." A dark aura began to fill the place. Naruto shuddered in horror, the scars of the last encounter still very much fresh in his mind. He was hyper sensitive to that technique now because of it. "Uzumaki-san, there will be no illicit activities at Izumo Maison." Miya said sweetly as she stared at Naruto with her closed eyes.

Naruto quickly put his hands up and slowly turned around, "Aheh, I wasn't planning on doing anything." Naruto said as he tried to defend himself.

Miya glanced over at Akitsu and took in her undressed look. Miya turned back to Naruto and tilted her head slightly, "Looks to me like you're far past the planning AND the doing."

Naruto gulped and wave his hands frantically, "No no, I haven't done anything, I just wanted Uzume's clothing." Naruto blanched, ah crap that wasn't how he intended for that to come out.

"Oh, so you wish to ravish Uzume-san as well?" Miya tilted her head even more. Something else seemed to appear behind Naruto. He was too scared to look however. "Who's next? Should I prepare myself for when you come to try and ravage me?"

Letting that drop of drool slip from his mouth at the image that statement conjured was NOT the proper response to the rhetorical question.

Uzume winced and turned away from the downed shinobi as Miya's ladle plowed into his forehead. That looked incredibly painful. "Come on in, I'll get some clothing for you. I think Miya will be finished bea-chastising Naruto by the time you're dressed." She said as she addressed Akitsu. She may not approve of the scrapped number but she would get her some clothing. For Naruto's sake.

Akitsu looked worriedly at Naruto who was being dragged away kicking and screaming by his ankles. "Don't worry about him, he's survived worse. Should have seen what happened yesterday." Uzume explained cheerfully.

Suddenly Naruto disappeared and instead of a blonde Shinobi Miya was dragging a log across the ground. She turned her head in surprise and looked into one of the rooms and out the window to see Naruto waving at her from the tree outside.

"Mark this as the day that you 'ALMOST' caught Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto taunted Miya from outside.

With a cry of bloody murder Miya threw the log across the bedroom and through the window. The sound of shattering glass and cracking wood reverberated through the Inn. Miya charged across the room and leapt through the broken window, her sword now in her hand.

With a yelp Naruto disappeared again, replacing himself with a fence post. Just in time as Miya's sword lashed out multiple times and cut through the air where Naruto had been. The fence post fell to the ground slashed into a dozen pieces.

A large sweat drop rolled down the back of Uzume's head. "Well at least I don't think she'll kill him." A loud boom rattled the house. "Maybe?"

**x~X~x**

"I'm still not sure I believe you." Takami said as she stared at the glass jar in front of her. It was filled with the same embryotic fluid that had nurtured the Sekirei embryos in their pods.

"That's because you still haven't embraced this new Era of the Gods we are about to enter." Minaka said.

The two of them were alone deep within the bowels of MBI Headquarters. This was the place where the real experimentation and adjustments occurred with the Sekirei. Some of the stuff that went down in here disgusted Takami to no ends. However she was pragmatic and realized that sometimes to make real progress, some sacrifices were necessary.

Some. That was the key word that separated her from Minaka. Minaka believed that any sacrifice was worth it so long as the achievement matched what was lost.

Right now the two of them were in a vault where some of the more exotic and advanced technological items were stored. They had yet to reverse engineer and analyze everything that the fallen spaceship had to offer. This is where the MBI team of researchers analyzed and found ways of reproducing and incorporating that over-technology into the real world.

However Takami still didn't understand why there was a pair of eyeballs in here, it just didn't match up with everything else in the room. Even if they were the strangest set of eyes she'd ever seen.

"They're just eyeballs, there's no way that implanting them inside someone automatically gives them super-human capabilities."

"Oh trust me they do. There are certain… requirements to be able to use them properly, or to their fullest extent. During No. 08 Yume's adjustments I gave her a truly inferior version of these eyes. It was the best I was able to come up with without having the real thing to work from but now they're here." Minaka grinned and spread his arms wide as if rejoicing, "Ah finally this game is about to get far more interesting!"

"What did you call these eyes?" Takami stared intently at the eyes. Takami didn't believe Minaka, not really. The man was a genius and tended to be correct about most situations. But what he had described was simply too fantastical.

Even if the iris and pupil of eyeballs were completely foreign. They looked like a red six-pointed star with a black three-pointed star inside the larger star on a greatly enlarged black iris.

"They're called the Sharingan."

**x~X~x**

"Hey there Hanabi." Naruto said as he walked into Chiho's room. Hanabi was once again inside sitting at the bed beside her new friend.

After his chastisement Naruto had decided to go meet Hanabi at the hospital. Naruto had led Miya on a merry chase around her property. He had enjoyed it quite a bit and he was quite certain that Miya had as well. At least near the end there she hadn't been actively trying to kill him. That had to mean that she was starting to enjoy it a little right?

She was still going to force him to repair all the damages made in the chase.

Regardless it had been a few days since he had Hanabi admitted to the Hospital and he longed for her presence, even if it was just for a short while.

He also needed to get out and send some shadow clones out into the ocean. Despite the merry chase, or perhaps because of, he was able to analyze all the information his clone had uncovered the previous night before it had been dispelled. He had decided to dispatch two clones to each location. That way if one of the pairs found the location one of the clones of said pair could dispel itself to notify the rest allowing them to dispel as well without there being any loss of chakra. It would also notify Naruto when and where the location was the moment it was found.

The final clone would then explore as much as it could and, if needed, Naruto himself could pay a visit if something arose that the clone wasn't capable of handling. Each clone had a seal painted on its body that would allow Naruto, or even any of the clones if they had enough chakra, to use his father's prized Jutsu to get there instantly.

However it still worried him a little that someone was able to dispatch his first clone so easily. Even though it only had a quarter of his chakra, the clone he had made to go and collect his money from the safety deposit was elsewhere undercover within MBI, it should have been enough for it to at least react and destroy the map before it was taken out.

It hadn't though; whoever took his clone down wasn't an ordinary Sekirei. Naruto was assuming it was a Sekirei because he didn't want to consider the possibility of a third powerful faction just yet.

Miya wouldn't let him take Akitsu shopping for clothes and had decided to go herself. She had dragged Uzume along with her. Uzume had balked, she hadn't liked the thought of having Naruto and his women near her Chiho without her there, even if she did trust him. However Miya wasn't someone you said no to and despite her protests she was dragged off to help her shop for clothing for Akitsu.

Musubi had accompanied him to the hospital since she wanted to see Hanabi again. Miya had objected at first but Musubi's puppy dog eyes actually worked on Miya for a change. Miya had given him a strict warning that there wasn't to be any funny business.

Like there would actually be any opportunity to do such a thing in a Hospital.

It seemed Miya still didn't trust him not to ravish Musubi while she was away. And Naruto couldn't particularly blame her either. He hadn't made the greatest of impression on Miya these past few days. He'd done nothing but reinforce the fact that he was a lustful beast.

Still he knew that Miya was far more aware of what was going on than she made clear. If she had been truly upset at Naruto he wouldn't still be an occupant of Izumo Inn.

"Ah! Naruto-kun!" Hanabi said with surprise. Her eyes lit up with happiness and joy as Naruto walked through the door. She was wearing different clothing today, a simple sleeveless green gown that went down to her knees. She had just come from the mineral salt bath where she had her arms soaked in the special solution to help loosen up and scrap away the excess scar tissue forming on her arms.

Naruto could tell that Hanabi hadn't expected to see him today but was pleasantly surprised nevertheless. She should have figured he would be here sooner rather than later. It had been a couple days since she'd been admitted to the hospital. If it weren't for Chiho, and the hectic past couple days, Naruto would have come earlier to keep his love company.

"Hanabi-chan!" Musubi cried out as she ran past Naruto and enveloped Hanabi in a hug. "It's so good to see you up again. Musubi was worried when Hanabi collapsed."

Hanabi smiled warmly up at the bubbly Sekirei, "Nice to see you as well Musubi-chan." Hanabi would have returned the hug but it hurt when she bent her arms too much. Even with all the painkillers she was drugged up it didn't eliminate all of the pain. The pain killers didn't appear to be as effective as they were at the start.

"I see you and Chiho have become friends." Naruto said as he moved over to stand beside Hanabi and Musubi.

"Yes, we were just talking about how we ended up here."

"You should be more careful Naruto-kun." Chiho said as she gave Naruto a stern look.

"Ah-ha, sorry. I'll be sure to be more careful. I love Hanabi and I don't like seeing her hurt." Naruto didn't have a clue what Chiho was talking about but he had assumed that Hanabi had created a cover story for what happened to her arms.

Speaking of that Naruto gave her a pointed look and she nodded. She subtly wiggled her fingers her ANBU sign language. Small movements like that didn't hurt too badly. She would deal with it. Besides the doctor said it was good to bend her joints a little from time to time so that the scar tissue didn't build up and lock her joints in place.

"Oh guess what Hanabi-chan!" Musubi said with her usual exuberance, "Naruto-sama got another Sekirei!"

Naruto palmed his face and groaned. Really? Naruto had told Musubi time and time again not to talk about being a Sekirei and here she goes again. What if someone had been walking just outside the room and heard her?

The room tilted as Naruto was knocked off his feet and kicked into the floor. "Another woman?" Hanabi shouted as she started to stomp on his chest. She wasn't using all of her strength, but she made her displeasure known. "I may have accepted Musubi but that doesn't mean you can go around picking up every woman you see!"

"No wait you got it all wrong!" Naruto shouted as he waved his hands above his face. "I haven't done anything with her. She was sitting all alone in the park and she looked hurt. She had this hopeless look in her eyes. I couldn't just leave her there, some pervert or spoiled rich kid that collects people as trophies could have come around and taken her!"

Hanabi stopped stomping for the moment. Some of the heat was gone. This sounded more like Naruto had picked up a stray that he had decided to help. Naruto never could turn away from someone in need. It was something she found very endearing about him.

"So, you haven't kissed her yet?" Naruto shook his head negatively, "Nothing sexual." Again another shake.

"Her crest is off, like something was done to tamper with or distort it. It was one of the reasons I took her in. I want to fix it so she can find her real partner."

Hanabi sighed and took her foot off Naruto's chest. That was fine, she could deal with that. She wasn't quite ready to share Naruto with yet another woman. Musubi was easy enough to deal with; she was too innocent and happy to really get mad at.

Naruto however was a little disappointed. He had been able to see up Hanabi's hospital dress from his position on the floor. When she had taken her foot off his chest he had lost sight of that glorious view. Maybe Miya was right, maybe after all the beatings he had suffered from Sakura and Tsunade he was partially masochistic.

"You haven't winged Akitsu yet?" Musubi asked, she sounded a little sad.

"No one can at the moment." Naruto confided, "The warped crest is preventing it from happening but don't worry, I'll fix it." He wanted to change the topic of this conversation badly. He felt like he was walking on a razor's edge here. This choice of topic could easily slip off into an area that would give rise to Hanabi's righteous feminine fury.

"Yes! Then we can have a-" Musubi thought for a second, "A foursome and make sex that way!"

Three large sweat drops rolled down the back of necks of the people in the room. "Musubi, that's not something that should be talked about in public." Hanabi said as she chastised the young Sekirei.

Musubi knocked herself on the head lightly, "Doh, is that like modesty? Musubi is having difficulty learning this stuff."

Chiho was having a difficult time trying to decide whether she should be embarrassed by this conversation, mortified or amused. "Musubi-san, do you even know what sex is?" She asked quietly.

_Oh crap, no, don't say it!_

"Yes!" Musubi said cheerfully, "Naruto-sama taught me how to make it this morning! It tastes kind of sour though even if it did taste a bit like Naruto-sama."

Chiho looked between Naruto and Musubi with a very confused look on her face. Either Musubi was talking about something completely different than what Chiho thought she was or the poor girl was really just that clueless.

Hanabi however glared down at Naruto. She wasn't upset that Naruto had been with Musubi, she had resigned herself to the fact that it would happen eventually. She was upset that it had occurred so soon without Musubi having a proper understanding of what it was. What was worse was that she still didn't know even AFTER the fact.

She raised her foot to begin stomping on Naruto again when his hands flashed through a series of hand signs. _Later, it's not what you imagine, important_. Hanabi lowered her foot but didn't ease her glare. If Naruto didn't have a good explanation he was going to be in a world of hurt.

Naruto picked himself off the ground and grinned, "Well, I'm glad they keep the floor clean at least. Musubi, would you mind keeping Chiho company for a bit? I need to talk to Hanabi alone for a few minutes."

"Sure Naruto-sama!"

"Thanks."

Naruto and Hanabi went back to Hanabi's hospital room. Once there Naruto closed the door and flashed through a couple of hand seals before pressing his hands to the door. A string of lines and squiggles flashed quickly across the walls, ceiling and floor as he made the room sound proof.

"You better have a good explanation for having sex with Musubi." Hanabi growled as she glared at her fiancé.

"I do, now I just want to say before I even start, the entire deed was done before either of us had woken up." Hanabi raised an eyebrow at the in disbelief.

Naruto quickly went through everything he and Kurama had discovered about the Sekirei Bond and the various links and what they knew of those. He described how Musubi actually had a second Sekirei within her and that he had drawn her out to converse and the reasoning behind it. Finally he finished off with how he was able to converse and that for the Sekirei core to transfer from Musubi to himself so that he could speak with the second Sekirei there needed to be an exchange of a different kind of fluid. Ultimately before he was able to cover it all up and clean the place Musubi had awoken and Naruto wasn't left with many options left. He then described how spectacularly his explanation went over Musubi's head.

Hanabi could understand where Naruto was coming from. Any shinobi worth their salt would have done the same. Ignorance usually got you killed in their line of work. She was going to have to sit down with Musubi sooner rather than later now to truly describe what sex was to the poor girl. She couldn't fault Naruto for what had happened, but he could have done a far better job at explaining what was going on.

"So this Sekirei, Yume…" Hanabi started.

"Ya, think of her as a more mature version of Musubi. Like what she would be like ten years from now. She has her exuberant attitude, but it's tempered by experience and maturity." That was the best way for Naruto to put it. Yume even gave off the same feeling as Musubi.

Hanabi sighed as she processed all of this information, "I'm going to have to give her the full talk now you know that right?"

"Yes, sorry about this. I was never very good at explaining things to people. I was taught what sex was by Jiraiya." Hanabi gave him a sympathetic look. Even though she hadn't gotten to know him personally his legend lived on past his own death and Jiraiya's perversion was as legendary as his skill. "Anyways, enough about me, what happened to you?"

This was the first time they'd been able to hold a true conversation after the incident. Naruto was anxious to figure out just what had happened to her. Obviously someone had broken into their condo and had chased after Hanabi. With her chakra back it could only have been a Sekirei, and a strong on at that since Hanabi was no slouch.

Hanabi sat down on her bed and brushed her hair back with her hand. She had to hold back a wince since she didn't want to worry Naruto. "There were two Sekirei waiting for me when I had arrived at our place, although only one of them was inside the room. Since our home was now compromised I detonated the explosive tags to erase all physical evidence of our existence there." Hanabi stopped for a moment before she looked up at Naruto and frowned, "Did you really have to put that much chakra in the tags? It almost blew out the entire level."

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry, I've put less into the ones I've got set up at our new place. I wasn't sure how much would be needed to destroy all the evidence. They use different building material here than we had back in Konoha."

Hanabi just shook her head, "Alright, well, a few people died when the upper levels collapsed. The fire had consumed all of the support beams before the fire department was able to arrive. You're lucky most people were at work or school otherwise the death toll would have been far higher."

"Sorry."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to. Anyways the two Sekirei were far different than the first one we met, Yashima. They were both skilled in combat, ruthless and far stronger."

"Ya, about Yashima, apparently she was a close friend of Musubi…" Naruto trailed off as he looked to the side. He was going to live with that guilt for a long time.

"Oh, oh no. Does she know?" Hanabi asked suddenly concerned. She placed her hand to her stomach and grimaced. Musubi's friend had been killed so that she could use chakra again.

"No, and I hope I never have to tell her. That's one secret I'd like to take to the grave."

Hanabi nodded in understanding. She felt the same way. They were shinobi, they all had dark secrets that should never, could never, reach the light of day. This was just one more added to the pile. "Anyways it was during that fight that I discovered I was able to use Yashima's gravity powers, although mine appear to be far more developed and powerful than hers were." Hanabi frowned at that. Her Sekirei 'crest' was also far different than the others since she had the full number printed on her stomach. "Unfortunately I can't use them in junction with my more powerful bloodline abilities. That's what caused my arms to burn. I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I would have been able to beat them more easily but it was two on one and I was fighting off a host of bad memories."

Naruto walked over to her pulled her into a hug. He kissed her soundly causing the Sekirei wings to burst out from Hanabi's back and illuminate the room. "It's alright, I'm just glad you're alive." Naruto said as he pulled away. "What did the two Sekirei look like?"

"Are you planning on hunting them down?" Hanabi asked.

"No, but if I do run across them I have some special plans in store."

"Plans?"

"Kurama wants to break out the barbeque sauce."

_Sweet and sour actually._

Hanabi smiled, but it wasn't a good smile, "I like the sound of that." Hanabi said and she proceeded to describe to Naruto what the two Sekirei looked like.

Naruto memorized the descriptions. Naruto said he wouldn't hunt them, and he wouldn't, but it couldn't hurt to have a few extra clones running around checking the city out, you know, just in case. They'd get reconnaissance on other Sekirei players and if they happened to run across the two, well, so much the better.

**x~X~x**

It was a couple hours later when Naruto and Musubi finally left the hospital. The sun was just beginning to set. The four of them, Naruto, Hanabi, Musubi and Chiho had spent the rest of the afternoon talking quietly in Chiho's room.

At some point during the conversation Naruto had made a few clones that transformed themselves into civilians he had known back in Konoha. These quietly left the Hospital and began to do some 'sight-seeing' in eastern Shinto Teito.

On the way out of the Hospital Musubi was her usual oblivious self and Naruto had a lot on his mind so both missed seeing the black limousine with dark tinted windows that just sat there in the parking lot of the hospital. Not that they would have paid much attention to it in the first place. It was a private hospital so it wouldn't be surprising if it had some rich clients.

"Are you going to follow up on the text that Minaka sent?" Kakizaki asked his employer.

Higa shook his head, "I have no interest in children; they're useless tools as far as I'm concerned. Let the others fight over her. Maybe a few of them will be taken out."

Higa turned his head to look out the window and smiled. There he saw Naruto and Musubi disappear into the sunset. "You really should have accepted my offer Naruto." Higa said to himself. "There are other ways of getting what I want."

"Why are you so interested in him and his Sekirei?" Kakizaki asked from the other side of the vehicle. Higa hadn't told him very much about the incident on the rooftop. He seemed to be keeping that information guarded, even from him. It was a shame his Kochou hadn't been able to get anything from the satellite feeds.

"Let's just say those two have the secret to bringing MBI down locked inside them." Higa replied as he continued to stare after Naruto.

"I could be of more assistance if I knew what it was that made him so valuable."

Higa turned from the window and gave his secretary a stare. "Just do as you're told and get the equipment here. This Sekirei No. 84 Hanabi, now that she's in my hands I can do all the analysis and experimentation I desire."

Hanabi was a patient at his hospital. A hospital he had full control over. He could easily swap out her pain medication for something with far more knock out potential and she would never know. Her Ashikabi would never know, not until it was too late. What made this Sekirei so special is that the MBI didn't know she existed. Kochou had hacked into MBI's Sekirei tracking computer and discovered that the only traceable Sekirei here at the hospital were his own guarding Chiho.

He couldn't experiment on his own because MBI would know immediately and then the Black Sekirei would be all over him. No. 84 however, she was unchained and untraceable. She was his to use as he saw fit.

Kakizaki nodded his head to his employer, "Yes Higa-sama. They're still preparing it over in North America. They said it should be here by the end of next week."

That meant the equipment would be here and in place for the final phase of No. 84's burn recovery. They could easily explain its presence away as special equipment designed to eliminate all scar tissue. "Good, Good. If Naruto won't give me what I want then I'll just rip the secret from his Sekirei."

**x~X~x**

"Naruto-sama!" Musubi called after her Ashikabi as she trailed behind him.

"Yes Musubi-chan?" Naruto asked as he glanced back.

"You should have told me that sex wasn't food!" Naruto almost tripped and fell. He had been about to step onto the edge of the building to hop across the alleyway. "Chiho-san explained it to me when you and Hanabi were talking. Sex is such a wonderful thing! To have sex is to become one with Naruto-sama. To feel his love pouring into me."

"Ah, that's great Musubi but this is hardly the time or place for this."

"Muu, but Naruto-sama, I want to have lots more sex!" Musubi complained as she caught up to Naruto.

"Ah, well, you see I'd love to but Miya-san has this policy about no illicit activities in Izumo Inn."

"Oh." Musubi pouted.

Naruto frowned as he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. He pulled it out and sighed. He had just gotten the phone and MBI already had the number. He unlocked it and noticed a single text. Quickly reading it he let out a short growl and looked up and to the side.

There in the distance he could see the arboretum with its overgrown plants. It looked as if someone with the Mokuton bloodline had lost control of their power.

"Come on Musubi, change of plans. That insane bastard over at MBI has deemed it alright to offer a Sekirei as a prize in a twisted event he set up. We're going to stop it."

"Are we getting another Sekirei?" Musubi asked hopefully.

"No, we're just making sure no one unscrupulous gets her first. I want her to be with her true Ashikabi."

Musubi beamed a smile at her Ashikabi. She couldn't help but feel that she truly was blessed to have such a great person as her Ashikabi.

The two of them quickly changed directions and headed off towards the overgrowth. They had a Sekirei to save.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** And there we go. The next chapter will have the first major deviation from canon. I'm hoping to get it all in one chapter but I might not. Hoping to wrap up the Kuu event, show what's happened to Minato since Naruto last encountered him and get Naruto his next Sekirei. I'm excited, I love the chapter, but I wonder how others will react.

Couple things, first don't expect every chapter to be this long. I kind of got carried away. To me a chapter is of acceptable length if it breaks 8k words. Secondly the next update may be 2-3 weeks since Heart of the Swarm comes out next Tuesday.

Here are some stats for Naruto since they'll never actually be covered in my story; at least I have no plans to cover them.

Naruto's Primary affinity is Wind, his secondary is Water. He's capable of using Earth to some degree as well but when it comes to Fire and Lightning he's pretty much shit out of luck. He has some basic techniques and can use minor applications but unless it's a seal he pretty much can't use them. The same goes for Genjutsu. He's capable of minor things but nothing large scale.

If you were to use the Naruto rating system for Affinity Naruto would be like this:

Wind – 5, Water – 4.5, Earth – 3, Fire – 1.5, Lightning – 1

Here are the rest of his stats, currently, using the Naruto standards. If you want what he was prior to this story you can check out the Naruto wiki.

**Ninjutsu - 5  
Taijutsu - 5  
Genjutsu - 2.5  
Intelligence - 3.5  
Strength - 5  
Speed - 5  
Stamina - 5  
Hand Seals - 4  
Total - 35  
**

And while it's not listed in the databooks Naruto's Fuinjutsu is a 5.0 and his stamina would actually be rated as a 7, but it doesn't go that high.

And just because I know people will want it, here's Hanabi's!

**Ninjutsu - 4  
Taijutsu - 5  
Genjutsu - 2.5  
Intelligence - 4.5  
Strength - 3  
Speed - 5  
Stamina - 3  
Hand Seals - 4  
Total - 31**

For comparison as to where she stands in relation to her relatives when Pein attacked Konoha.

**Neji**

**Ninjutsu - 4  
Taijutsu - 4.5  
Genjutsu - 2  
Intelligence - 3  
Strength - 2.5  
Speed - 4.5  
Stamina - 3.5  
Hand Seals - 3  
Total - 27  
**

**Hiashi**

**Ninjutsu - 3.5  
Taijutsu - 5  
Genjutsu - 2  
Intelligence - 3  
Strength - 3.5  
Speed - 4  
Stamina - 4  
Hand Seals - 5  
Total - 30  
**

At the end of the story after everything is said and done I might do one for all Sekirei and characters in this story. Sort of like an Appendix. But I won't do it until the end because there will be spoilers in it.

**Jutsu List**

**Naruto Uzumaki:**

**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu **(Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)

**Doton: Yomi Numa **(Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)

**Fūton: Daitoppa **(Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)

**Fūton: Shinkūgyoku **(Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere)


	11. Chapter 10: A Fate Worse Than Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Review Responses: **

I must say I'm rather disappointed with some of the comments about the Sharingan. This was foreshadowed in Chapter 2 quite heavily. Sasuke's body followed Naruto into this new world, Karasuba was hinted at being there at the scene, Takami even mentions in an internal monologue that MBI had recovered Sasuke's body. Did you really think that MBI wouldn't be interested in a pair of eyes that looked that alien? What truly disappoints me is that the real point of that scene was completely missed by everyone. I haven't seen a single review that touched on it which is sad considering it should be more of a 'wtf' than MBI having the eyes at all considering that their existence can be easily explained.

Maybe someone will go back and comb over everything in more detail but who knows. Things will make sense as more revelations are made known.

I won't say any more on the Sharingan only that it's not going to be used in the way most of you are probably thinking. I haven't even decided if I want to implant it in someone, I have a different purpose for it. Something far more evil than a simple implantation and liberal use of mind fucking techniques.

Higa and Hanabi. Yes, that scene was there specifically to rile you, my readers, up. Hehe. I don't want to say any more on this only that I have two out-comes written in my mind for that and I'll just choose whatever one writes into the story better.

Mutsu vs Naruto. A lot of people felt I underpowered Naruto. Perhaps I did a little, the possibility is there, but remember the Naruto I wrote, regardless of whether or not he was underpowered, still displayed far more skill and ability than where he currently is at in the Manga. At the moment all the Naruto in the manga has is Kawarimi, Henge, Shadow Clones, Rasengan Version 1, Rasengan Version 2, Rasengan Version 3, Rasengan Version 4, Rasengan Version 5, etc., etc., He's pretty much a one trick pony.

He couldn't use his bigger attacks because he didn't want to hurt Akitsu or cause collateral damage to the city. The smaller Rasengan were useless since to get in range to actually hit Mutsu with it would basically mean sacrificing his body. Mutsu has about twice the reach of Naruto with his sword. He would have chopped Naruto's head off before the smaller Rasengan even got close enough to do anything. Naruto opted to try and use long range only attacks to negate Mutsu's reach advantage. And yes, while Naruto DOES have some skill in facing sword based opponents that doesn't mean he's capable of beating them while fighting in their element.

And finally Naruto wasn't trying to kill his opponents. He only kills if he feels it's necessary. He had opted to drive them away instead of kill, it actually stated he could have killed Mikogami if he wanted to, but he didn't because that wasn't his intention. So Naruto was basically fighting, handicapped, against an opponent he didn't want to kill. Did I under power him even still considering those factors? Possibly, but not by as much as you all imply I did.

For those that want Naruto to kick ass and take names, well, there will be plenty of that, just you wait.

And finally I never said Naruto became Hokage because he was smart ^_^. He had Neji and Shikamaru do the hard thinking. Naruto was powerful, charismatic, respected and loved. That was enough. As sad as it is to say this, intelligence isn't always required in a leader, that's what advisers are for.

**Chapter 10: A Fate Worse Than Death**

The overgrown Arboretum was further away than Naruto had originally anticipated. It was far larger than it had appeared at first and night had completely fallen by the time he and Musubi arrived at the location.

Naruto stared at the overgrown place with interest. It was definitely the Mokuton bloodline that had done this. Or at the very least someone that had a very good imitation of it. Naruto could sense the chakra as it flowed throughout the overgrowth. It was truly incredible. Whoever had done this had great power and potential. They would more than like become incredibly powerful in the future.

However at the moment it looked like said individual had little control over it if what he looked at was anything to go by.

Musubi landed beside him and began to observe the arboretum with interest. Naruto in his haste had slowly outpaced Musubi on the way here. He hadn't intended to do so but in his haste to get here as soon as possible he had forgotten what Musubi's limits were.

"Sorry Musubi, didn't meant to leave you behind." Naruto apologized.

"It's alright Naruto-sama, you're really amazing!"

Naruto gave Musubi a smile he that wasn't really feeling, "Come, let's go find an entrance, the overgrowth is impenetrable here."

Musubi smiled in return and quickly followed Naruto as he jumped from building to building. Naruto couldn't help but be worried. He had already encountered three Ashikabi with less than ideal morals that would do anything to get their hands on something. That meant more than half the Ashikabi he had dealt with would use any means possible to obtain this new Sekirei. It was a small sample size to base his conclusions off but Naruto was worried that the entire place would be inundated with greedy selfish Ashikabi that hoped to expand their power.

As they circled the perimeter Naruto caught a scent on the wind. He knew that smell, it was the smell of death mixed with smoke. It was something he had quickly become accustomed to in the Elemental Nations and something one took quick notice of if they wanted to live very long.

"This way." Naruto said as he changed his direction slightly and headed towards the scent of smoke that still hung in the air.

This was better than just trailing along the edge of the arboretum. If there was smoke and death there had been a battle. The only reason for there to be a battle this close to the overgrown area was if people had been fighting to get into the place.

That meant an entrance.

The first thing Naruto noticed on arrival was all the destroyed vehicles and slain soldiers. That was where the smell of death came from. The vehicles looked like armored cars designed to carry troops. They were all tipped over or split in half. It was like a massive blade had simply sheered through them. Many of them were still on fire as smoke billowed out from them.

Well that explained the smoke Naruto had been able to smell.

The fallen men were in much the same condition. Their wounds were of the same type. The missing limbs of the soldiers looked as if they had been sheared off cleanly. It was as if they had been cut by an extremely sharp blade. There was another possibility as well that Naruto realized he couldn't discount right away since he was dealing with Sekirei.

He was able to inflict the same type of injuries with blades of wind.

That was when he noticed a second source of smoke as a flash of red to the side caught his attention. Down there two Sekirei were caught up in a deadly dance of death. One of them wielded fire and shout great gouts of flames and precise balls of fire as he tried to create some distance from the second Sekirei. Naruto couldn't help but feel that he recognized that Sekirei but he was too far away and the face mask covered many of his features.

The second Sekirei however he did know. It was Mutsu, the bastard that had tried to take Akitsu for his master the previous night. So Hayato was after yet another Sekirei. For some reason Naruto had a hard time believing that Hayato was the proper Ashikabi for whatever Sekirei was stuck within that overgrowth.

Naruto also knew he had to step in or the fire wielding Sekirei wasn't going to last. While he held his own at the moment Naruto could tell from this vantage point that Mutsu dominated the battlefield and dictated the flow of battle. It would only be a matter of time before he won.

It was time to continue their previous battle. "Come Musubi, we need to help that flame wielding Sekirei down there."

"But Sekirei battles are one on one!" Musubi protested. Apparently she was a stickler for rules of engagement.

"This isn't a battle, it's a rescue."

Naruto held his hand out to the side and began to channel his chakra into it. Wisps of blue energy began to converge and then spin wildly within its confines. The Rasengan took form in his hand as he completed the technique.

Naruto leapt from the top of the building and shot towards Mutsu as if he had just been fired from a cannon. The attack came so sudden and quick that by the time Mutsu had realized Naruto was there it would have been too late. Unfortunately for the blonde shinobi he hadn't anticipated the flame wielding Sekirei's reaction. Mutsu noticed his opponent's eyes widen as they shifted to something above his shoulders and knew that something was headed his way.

Mutsu didn't waste any time and reacted instantly. Being a seasoned fighter he knew better than to stay in one spot and wait for whatever it was that had distracted his opponent. He rolled to the side just before Naruto barrelled into where he had once stood. A massive explosion erupted from the ground as the Rasengan drilled into it and detonated.

"Damnit I know I hid my chakra, there was no way you should have been able to sense my approach." Naruto complained bitterly as he rose from the smoke that had billowed out from the impact zone.

"You!" Mutsu growled as he stared at the blond shinobi. "First last night and again tonight, why do you insist on getting in the way of my master?" He wasn't normally one to get riled up but this was twice now that this Ashikabi had gotten in his way and he had to admit that it was starting to get rather bothersome.

Naruto shrugged, "I didn't even know you were here until I arrive a few moments ago." Naruto admitted, "I'm just here to make sure that whatever cute little Sekirei is in that forest over there gets hooked up with their proper Ashikabi, not one that makes trophies out of Sekirei."

"Kagari-san!" Musubi shouted out a greeting as she landed behind the flame-wielding Sekirei.

Kagari whirled around to face Musubi, "It's Homura, not Kagari."

"Oh! Sorry, it's just you looked like Kagari-san from the back." Musubi apologized sheepishly.

Naruto looked Kagari up and down. Now that he got a good look at the Sekirei he realized it really was the same person that lived with him at Izumo Inn. "You have dual identities?" Naruto asked curiously.

"No!" Kagari/Homura whirled around as he shouted at Naruto this time. "I'm Homura, Guardian of the Unwinged Sekirei."

"Alright, Alright, I understand Kagari-san." Naruto said as he waved his hand to placate the irate Sekirei.

"Grrr!"

Naruto turned on Mutsu and re-focused on the task at hand. Considering how powerful Mutsu had demonstrated to be the night before he knew that neither Musubi nor Kagari had any chance against him alone. "I think it's time we finish the fight from last night." Naruto addressed Mutsu.

Mutsu raised his sheathed sword in preparation. The two of them both knew that the other was a powerful opponent. "I can handle this!" Kagari/Homura said as he stepped in front of Naruto. "I don't need your help."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice you getting your ass handed to you while I was up on the building." Naruto pointed out. "He has you outclassed in every way."

Kagari/Homura shook his head in stubbornness. This was his fight and he wasn't going to sit out and let someone else take over. Especially if that someone was an Ashikabi that he knew little about. "I'll manage. Anyways he didn't come here alone; his companion has already gone on ahead. If you really are here to help out that unwinged Sekirei I suggest chasing down the other. She's had a considerable head start." Kagari/Homura had raised his hand and pointed into the overgrowth opening.

Naruto frowned as he thought for a moment. His original goal had been to rescue the trapped Sekirei and keep her safe until she found her Ashikabi. But Kagari couldn't win this battle, not alone.

Alone.

Naruto looked over at Musubi and suddenly an idea formed in his mind. "Alright, I'll chase down that other Sekirei but I 'know' you will lose if you continue to fight Mutsu alone." Kagari/Homura opened his mouth to protest but Naruto held up a hand to silence him. "So I'm leaving Musubi-chan here to help you, along with some other support."

"Really Naruto-sama?" Musubi said as she started to bounce on her feet. "I get to fight finally?"

Naruto smiled over at the bubbly Sekirei and nodded, "Yes."

"Yay! Musubi can put the landlady's training to use now!"

"I said I don't need any hel-" Kagari/Homura stopped as Naruto gave him a pointed look. Naruto knew that he wasn't as stupid as that. He had to know that he had been fighting a losing battle. He had been probably just trying to buy time, for what Naruto didn't know. "Fine, but just make sure that scythe wielding Sekirei doesn't reach Kusano."

"You can count on it. I'll make sure Kusano finds her true Ashikabi." Naruto brought his hand up and formed a sign, "But before I go I'll leave some help. They won't be able to do much more than distract against an opponent like this but that should be enough. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Two clouds of smoke appeared to either side of the blonde haired Ashikabi. Three pairs of eyes widened in surprise when the smoke cleared to reveal two identical copies of Naruto.

"Naruto-sama! There are three of you!"

"What the hell is this? What the hell are you?" Kagari/Homura had always figured that Naruto was strange, but this took it to a whole new level. He had just displayed an ability that was unheard of even among the fantastical abilities of his own kind.

"…" Mutsu unsheathed his sword and gripped it tightly in his right hand while he held his sheath at the ready in his left. It looked as if he was going to try and dual-wield with the sheath being his second blade.

Naruto didn't doubt for a moment that he could. Powerful Shinobi could turn virtually anything into a weapon; it wasn't so hard to believe that a Sekirei as strong as Mutsu could put his sheath to good use.

With a quickly application of Shunshin Naruto appeared beside Musubi in an instant. The two male Sekirei started in surprise at the sudden swift movement. "Take care of yourself Musubi-chan." Naruto said as he bent forward and kissed her on the lips. Musubi leaned into the kiss and sighed in contentment as her crest flared and her wings erupted from her back.

Mutsu grimaced and shot forward. He hoped to take Musubi out before the Norito could finish activating. The two Naruto clones had been watching him however and intercepted before he could make it there.

Mutsu ducked as the first clone that reached him tried to slam a fist into his face. He brought his sheath up to block the kunai of the second clone that stabbed down at him having anticipated his avoidance of the first attack.

Mutsu spun on the balls of his feet in his crouched position and slashed upwards with his sword aiming at Clone A. Said clone had already started to move the moment his companion's attack had been foiled and was just barely able to jump out of range of the slash, although it did cut through a small portion of his clothing.

Mutsu continued to spin completing a 360 degree turn as he brought his sword into a downward diagonal slash at Clone B. The clone quickly whipped out a second kunai in his free hand and blocked the slash. The two struggled against each other for a moment before they quickly jumped away from each other. A ball of fire slammed into the ground where Mutsu had just been.

Kagari/Homura had joined the fight once more.

"By my fist of the contract, my Ashikabi's perils will be shattered!" The wings faded and disappeared into Musubi's back. An aura erupted around her as her power skyrocketed.

"A Norito? How troublesome…" Mutsu muttered to himself as he eyed the now powered up Musubi.

With his enhanced hearing Naruto heard and whipped around in surprise, "What? Shika-" he stopped. His friend was dead, he knew that, but he couldn't help it for a moment believe that Shikamaru was alive. The inflection, the intonation, it was exactly how his old friend had used to say it. However instead of his dead friend it was Mutsu that was staring back at him.

"Tsk." Naruto turned to his Sekirei and smiled at her, "Take care Musubi, be careful of Mutsu, he's strong."

"Yes Naruto-sama!" Naruto nodded in satisfaction before he bolted into the overgrown arboretum.

Once Naruto was gone Musubi turned back to Mutsu and balled her fists in front of her. "I'm No. 88 Musubi!" She introduced herself to Mutsu.

"No. 05, Mutsu." It was basic etiquette to introduce ones number and name before one initiated a fight. Although technically this one had already been started. However while Mutsu may be irritated by these constant interruptions but he wouldn't let that affect his manners.

The two Sekirei looked over at Kagari and waited patiently. The two Naruto clones exchanged a couple of confused glances but then shrugged helplessly to each other. This was the oddest way to do battle but the longer this got drawn out the better.

"I'm not going to introduce myself! I'm supposed to be undercover!" Kagari/Homura growled out in annoyance.

"Kagari-san! It's only polite to introduce yourself!" Musubi said.

"It's Homura, not Kagari!" Kagari/Homura yelled as he glared at Musubi. There wasn't any real heat behind the gaze or shout. Mutsu noticed that it was filled with something else, embarrassment? Resignation?

"You're not winged yet are you?"

"Urk!" Kagari/Homura hadn't expected that question.

Musubi tilted her head in confusion and blinked, "Kagari-san isn't winged yet? Naruto-sama could wing you! He's an amazing Ashikabi!"

"It's Homura! And no I don't want Naruto!" Kagari/Homura yelled in indignation. Why couldn't anyone understand that? He was certain that some god out there was laughing at him. This all had to be some madman's plan or something.

"My Ashikabi could use another Sekirei, Kagari." Mutsu offered. Mutsu was well aware of his master's habit of picking up stray Sekirei and considering how well this Kagari had faired against him before that annoying blonde haired Ashikabi had arrived he would be a strong asset.

Kagari's shoulders slump in defeat, "I give up." He said mournfully.

"So you accept my offer?" Mutsu asked.

"No!"

"Oh so you want Naruto to be your Ashikabi!" Musubi said excitedly.

"NO! I… Oh forget this!" Kagari/Homura growled as he threw a ball of fire at Mutsu. This conversation had just taken a turn towards stupid.

The conversation was over at that point as Mutsu simply side stepped the ball of fire. It was a pity that Homura hadn't accepted his offer, Mutsu was well aware of which name was his true name and which wasn't, but that didn't mean he couldn't force it. All he had to do was knock Homura out and drag him to his Ashikabi. Once he was winged it would be too late.

Out of the corner of his he saw Musubi as she rushed headlong towards him at near supersonic speeds. "_Smashing Point_!" Mutsu said as he slammed the butt of his sheath into the ground. A shockwave rippled through the earth and fractured the ground into pieces.

Musubi stumbled and almost tripped as a large jagged piece of earth erupted before her. She lost all of her forward momentum as she dodged the earth and recovered her balance. Mutsu took advantage of her distraction and shot towards her with the intent to take her out quickly. Her Norito made her the most problematic of his four opponents. An explosion erupted from the spot where he had just been indicating that Kagari/Homura had just missed him.

Mutsu covered the distance to Musubi in a flash and swung the sheath of his sword at the young Sekirei's legs. As Mutsu had planned Musubi jumped to avoid the sheath which put her exactly where he wanted her to be, in mid-air and no way to dodge his sword as he thrust his blade straight towards Musubi's chest.

There was a blur of yellow and Mutsu's sword hit nothing but air. Mutsu knew he had to move. His instincts and combat experience warned him of impending danger. Mutsu jumped to the side and narrowly avoided a second blonde-haired Ashikabi clone that slammed into the ground where he had been with two kunai held in each hand.

Mutsu twisted in mid leap and slammed both his sheath and his sword into the ground. "_Fracturing Storm_." Mutsu said as he buried his blade up to its hilt. With a flick of his wrist he twisted his blade and ripped it from the ground as he slammed his sheath into the earth a second time. The ground ruptured and fractured a second time but unlike the previous multiple lines of jagged rocks shot outwards from the epicentre.

The Naruto clone that had tried to ambush Mutsu jumped out of the way but the one that had saved Musubi wasn't so lucky. The brown-haired Sekirei had been about to rush towards Mutsu a second time when a wave of spiked rocks shot towards her. It had taken all of the clones speed and ability to knock Musubi out of the path of the attack.

Unfortunately it didn't leave the clone any time to move and it disappeared in a cloud of smoke as a couple of jagged rocks pierced him.

Homura started to sweat a little, which was quite the feat when one considered the fact that he was used to intense flame. Homura was beginning to realize that Mutsu had been playing with him the whole time. If he had been even half this serious earlier he wouldn't have lasted long enough for Naruto to arrive.

The members of the first disciplinary squad really were on a completely different level than the rest of the Sekirei in the Sekirei Plan. Maybe if he was winged he would have been able to fight on a more equal level.

No, no he couldn't think like that. He wasn't capable of being winged.

Mutsu stared at the cloud of smoke as it dispersed, "Well, that's interesting. Solid bodies but they can only take a single hit." Mutsu turned to stare at the remaining clone. Said clone began to sweat as he interpreted the meaning behind that stare.

"Ah crap." Naruto's clone said as Mutsu charged towards him.

**x~X~x**

As Naruto ran through the overgrowth he pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed one of the few numbers on it. He didn't know very many people and as such he only had three numbers: One for Hanabi, one for Kagari/Homura and one for Uzume. Hanabi couldn't help him right now and Kagari/Homura was already hip deep in this mess that left only one person he could call.

The phone only rang once before someone answered, "Oh! Hey bro! This is the first time you've called me, what's up?" Uzume asked.

"Hey Uzume, sorry for being abrupt but is Akitsu there?" Naruto asked urgently.

He couldn't ask Uzume to come out and help, she'd already done enough for him. However Naruto was certain that Akitsu wouldn't hesitate to come to his aid. He couldn't be everywhere at once so he was going to need help. Despite his virtually unlimited stamina he had actually invested a lot into the clones he had sent out into the ocean. As a result he was feeling the effects of the chakra expenditure. It was a decidedly unusual situation for him, one he didn't get to experience very often.

He had sent six clones out into the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. He had to take into consideration many factors when he did so. The clones needed to have enough chakra to water walk for days across a wide open body of water that had the potential for sudden and violent changes in weather and condition. Not only did they need enough chakra to do that but enough to perform the **Hiaraishin no Jutsu** afterwards and still have enough chakra to explore the island and deal with any problems that could potentially arise.

This meant instead of normally splitting his chakra equally between his clones he had invested virtually all of his chakra into those clones. It was a gamble he felt was worth taking since he would have been refreshed after a good night's sleep. He hadn't expected something like this to occur only hours after he had made those clones.

Still despite all that he still had enough to deal with any random Sekirei and he had Kurama to fall back upon should the worst case scenario arise and he needed an extra boost.

"Ya, she's here beside me eating dinner, why? Shouldn't you and Musubi have been home by now? Visiting hours ended an hour ago."

"I know but something came up. I need Akitsu's aid, can you send her to the overgrown arboretum?" Naruto asked, "It's hard to miss if she takes to the rooftops."

"Sure I can ask… Oh, she's already gone." Uzume said in surprise. Apparently Akitsu had heard the conversation through the phone.

"Great, thanks Uzume-chan, I owe you." Naruto jumped over a particularly large root without slowing. He ate up ground faster than most Sekirei could move.

"Ah hah, no problem bro, any time."

"Bye." Naruto said and hung up. He quickly pocketed the phone and once more began to concentrate on his surroundings.

He just realized something; he didn't have a clue where the hell he was supposed to go. It was difficult to detect chakra signatures inside the overgrowth due to the massive amounts of Mokuton chakra that flowed through the plants.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**!" Naruto shouted again and seven new clones appeared beside him. Naruto and his clones looked at each and nodded. They knew what to do. As one they bolted off into different directions while Naruto continued on in the same direction.

His clones knew what to do, if they discovered anyone or anything of interest they would dispel themselves and let him know. In the meantime he would continue on in the direction he had been going.

Naruto hoped he would be quick enough. He didn't know exactly how long ago the scythe wielding Sekirei had entered the forest and that made things incredibly time sensitive. All he had was Homura's vague mention. For all he knew the Sekirei Kusano had already been kidnapped and he was running around the overgrowth for absolutely no reason.

It was only a minute later when one of his clones dispelled itself. It was Seo, both he and his two Sekirei were in the overgrowth. What they were doing here was anyone's guess but Naruto didn't think it was to capture the Sekirei. The look on their face was one of worry and concern.

And that made Naruto concerned. From the little encounter he had with Seo he knew the man was made of sterner stuff than most of the people in the city, possibly the entire city combined.

Before he could make a decision on whether or not he should head over to Seo two more clones popped. It only took him a moment to go through the memories and he couldn't help but curse.

For two very different reasons.

One of his clones that had been fighting Mutsu was already down. He was apparently far more dangerous now that he didn't have to worry about getting his Ashikabi caught up in his abilities. His clones didn't have enough chakra to toss around ninjutsus, not if they wanted to stay up long enough to delay Mutsu.

What's worse was that from the memories he had gained from his clone. Musubi and the others were severely outclassed. That meant he had to finish things here quickly and get back to his Sekirei before she was overwhelmed. Thankfully Musubi appeared to be as tough as she was thick so she could take some hits before going down.

She was certainly more durable than his clones.

Naruto shifted his feet and shot off in an eastwardly direction. The second clone that had popped had found his target. Which was both good news and bad news.

It was good news because it meant he didn't have to search any longer. With a firm location in mind he could get there quickly and finish this before Musubi was overwhelmed. And as if to accentuate that point the rest of the clones he had sent out to explore the overgrowth dispelled themselves.

The bad news was what was going on there. From the memories he had obtained from his clone there was a small clearing in the center of the overgrowth where the Sekirei Kusano had been. It was currently torn up and in pieces. Slashes could be seen all over the place. There were at least three different types and although Naruto wasn't able to differentiate too well between one and the other he was certain that most of it had been from the scythe wielding Sekirei.

Minato was there as well, which was a big surprise to Naruto. He had always liked the man which meant he now had two reasons to kick the scythe wielding Sekirei's ass. Minato was covered in minor cuts and bruises from what Naruto could see and there was a particularly nasty gash across his back as if he had taken a major attack for someone. His clothes were in complete tatters.

Minato was also sprawled out over the back of a woman that Naruto could not identify. However judging from the fact that the woman was naked, in far worse shape than Minato, and had a naginata clutched in her right hand Naruto was certain that she was a Sekirei. She was probably the person he took the attack for. Naruto could easily see Minato as someone who would risk his own life for someone else.

It appeared that Minato was an Ashikabi as well.

The worst part about the entire thing was the last thing his clone had seen. It was of a scythe wielding Sekirei knocking a young child across the back of the head with the butt of her scythe. That sort of blow was sure to knock the child out. She looked a little worse for wear with some of her clothing torn and a few scratches here and there but she was definitely in better shape than Minato and his Sekirei.

If only he had enough spare chakra to give his clones enough juice to do more than just scout.

Naruto redoubled his efforts to reach the glade. He wouldn't be able to arrive before his target left, but if he got there soon enough it wouldn't be difficult to track where she was going. He was certain he'd be able to catch up with her, burdened as she was.

It was about five minutes after Naruto had entered the overgrowth that he finally made his way into the glade where the battle for the Mokuton using Sekirei had taken place. Minato looked up and his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized Naruto.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" Minato asked incredulously. Naruto was probably the last person Minato had expected to see here in the overgrowth. The two hadn't had any contact since Naruto threw him through the front of the store.

He had to work there now to pay off the debt he owed the owner. At least he got a little something on the side to help pay for expenses since his mother had cut his allowance in half.

"Trying to save a cute little Sekirei from a fate worse than death." When Minato gave Naruto a questioningly look Naruto explained further, "A Sekirei can be forcefully winged by any Ashikabi. To me forcing someone into servitude, one that they're even forced to love and enjoy due to a bonding of souls, is a fate worse than death. It reminds me far too much of something I sacrificed everything to stop."

Naruto wouldn't, couldn't, explain any more to Minato. What Madara and Obito had been trying to do was enslavement of the highest magnitude. He could never forgive someone for forcing their will on another.

"You're here to save Kuu-chan?" Minato asked.

"Kuu-chan?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow in question.

"Kusano, the Green Girl. She's the one that made this place." Ah, so Kuu-chan was her nick name that was good to know, "Where's your Sekirei?" Minato asked. Naruto frowned at the implication that Minato thought him weak but he remembered that Minato wasn't aware of what he could do.

"Yes, I'm here to save her, and I'm plenty strong without my Sekirei." Stronger actually since he didn't have to worry about collateral damage.

As Minato slowly crawled off his Sekirei Naruto was finally able to get a good look at the girl beneath him. She was in rough shape and without help she'd probably die. There was a Sekirei crest prominent on the back of her neck but it was starting to lighten and looked as if it could fade away entirely at any moment.

Naruto groaned and made a hand sign, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted and three new clones appeared around him. Minato's jaw dropped as he witnessed his friend duplicate himself like it was nothing. "Which way was Kusano taken?" Naruto asked.

Minato shakily pointed further east. "No. 43, Yomi, took her that way." The three clones turned as one and shot off into overgrowth. They would chase after the Sekirei and keep track of where she was going so that Naruto could quickly catch up.

As much as Naruto wanted to chase after Kusano now he couldn't just leave the two of them alone. He couldn't do much, not knowing any medical ninjutsu, but he knew first aid and had some supplies from his shinobi days that could help stabilize the fallen Sekirei.

Naruto rolled up his left sleeve as he approached Minato and his Sekirei. There on the shoulder was a sealing array. He placed a couple fingers on it and funnelled his chakra into it. He manipulated the chakra so that only certain parts of the seal activated allowing him to retrieve specific items.

In this case a medical case.

Minato's eyes bugged out even more as a first aid kit popped out of Naruto's shoulder.

"Do you need anything?" Naruto asked as he knelt beside the Sekirei. He opened the kit and quickly pulled out a roll of bandages. The first thing he had to do was stop the Sekirei from bleeding out any more than she already was.

"Ah, no, I'm fine. Most of this blood is from Kaho-chan. Can you save her?" Minato asked as he finally regained his senses. As confused and curious as he was about Naruto's abilities his concern for his Sekirei overrode everything.

"That depends on her strength of will." Naruto said as he began to wind the bandages around the wounded Sekirei. It was a testament to the seriousness of the situation that Naruto didn't even take the time to appreciate the perfectly proportioned figure of the Sekirei before him. Naruto's hands moved expertly, they appeared as nothing more than a blur to Minato's eyes, as he bandaged Kaho as best he could, "I can't heal her, but I can help her heal herself."

"Kaho-chan is strong, she'll persevere." Minato stated with conviction.

Naruto nodded as he finished with the bandages. He put the rest back into the kit and pulled out a couple of pills. They were both similar in shape and color. They were both so dark as to almost be black and completely spherical. Naruto quickly put them into the Sekirei's mouth and began to massage her throat to help her swallow.

"What are those?"

"Special pills, they can't be made anymore and I have a limited number of them. One of them is a Plasma Pill. It increases the body's ability to create red blood cells, white blood cells and plasma. It will help her replenish what she's already bled out." Naruto explained as he watched in satisfaction as Kaho swallowed the pills. It seemed that despite being knocked out her body was at least semi-responsive. "The other pill is a Soldier Pill. It replenishes ones stamina, chakra and provides them with nutrients. Consider it a super supplement."

"Chakra?"

"The energy Sekirei use to power their abilities."

Minato blinked in surprise, "Oh, well I… thank you Naruto-san." Minato said finally and bowed. There were many questions that Minato wanted to ask but Naruto really didn't look like he was in the mood, nor had the time, to answer any more.

Naruto twitched slightly as another clone dispelled. This was the second clone he had left with Musubi. Mutsu had strategically placed himself so that when Kagari had shot a gout of flame at him it hit the clone when he dodged. Mutsu was a good strategic thinker, even in the heat of battle, something else he shared with his old friend Shikamaru. That wasn't good. Considering how head strong Musubi was she was probably going to go head to head with Mutsu.

At least his memories brought a bit of good news. Mutsu wasn't moving as fast as he was at the start. It seemed he didn't have unlimited stamina. Musubi had been able to get in a single mean right hook to Mutsu's left shoulder just before her Norito had run out and Mutsu was definitely feeling it. The sheath was lying discarded on the ground and he was reduced to using just his sword now since his left arm was no longer capable of holding anything.

Kagari had upped the ante as well and there was now a steady stream of fire coming from the flame wielding Sekirei. Although Naruto had to admit he didn't like the way that Kagari's body appeared to smoke and smolder.

Still he had to hurry. He had to place his faith that Musubi and Kagari could hold Mutsu off long enough for him to rescue Kusano and get back. Naruto grimaced, this was going to be tight, but he was no stranger to tight situations.

"I have to go, I won't let Kusano become enslaved to someone that views her as nothing more than a trophy." Naruto said as he stood up. What awaited Kusano was a fate worse than death. It felt as if he'd been fighting his entire life to prevent such things from happening.

Minato stood with him and gave the shinobi a shaky smile, "Please save her. I wasn't strong enough to stop Yomi from taking her."

Naruto gave his friend a small smile and nodded to reassure him, "Don't worry, I will. I promise." Naruto said.

With that he turned and shot off after his clones. He had only stayed in the glade to help Minato out for a couple minutes but even those minutes were precious. Right now Naruto was cursing the fact that he had imbued so much chakra into his clones out in the ocean. He really could have used that chakra right about now. He had barely exerted himself compared to what he used to back in the Elemental Nations and he had already begun to sweat.

One thing he swore to do after tonight was get back into training. He had become complacent, comparatively speaking, since coming to this world and he was paying for it now.

Another clone dispelled. The three he had sent after Yomi had reached their target. One of them had tried to slow her down and intercepted her. It hadn't worked out very well. This Sekirei wasn't as easily cowed as Yashima had been. She had twisted in mid jump and swung her scythe at his clone as he had tried to attack her.

Boy had he been surprised when a blade of wind shot out and cut him in half. The clone didn't survive that. At least now Naruto understood just why the glade had looked so torn up. The blades of wind from the scythe probably did most of the damage.

One good thing that death had accomplished was that it let Naruto know that the Sekirei hadn't deviated from her path. She still headed straight east. At this rate Naruto would catch up with her soon, hopefully before she left the forest.

Naruto channeled a bit of Kurama's chakra through his coils and boosted his speed to supersonic levels. A shockwave erupted from him as he blasted through the overgrowth tearing leaves, small branches and vines up from his passage. Anyone with any sort of capability to sense others were going to pick him up now but this situation warranted using some of Kurama's chakra.

It's not like anyone would know what it was they sensed, only that it was a very good idea to run away from it.

Naruto planned as he shot through the forest. Yomi carried Kusano under her left arm that meant torso shots were risky since it risked Kusano. The best way would be to take out her legs, cut them off at the knees. The Sekirei was certain to drop Kusano for any number of reasons and his clones could pick up the child before she hit the ground.

The course of action decided Naruto simply calmed his mind and got ready for action. When he came within sight of his clones, they had stayed hidden but kept pace with their target, he flashed through the ANBU sign language and indicated his course of action to them. The two clones nodded in agreement and silently circled to either side.

In a flash Naruto shot forward and quickly covered the distance between him and his target. The Sekirei gasped and swung her scythe towards him quickly in an attempt to ward him off. Naruto however was forewarned of what she was capable of and was able to easily determine the size, shape and speed of the blade of wind. Being a master wind manipulator himself he was able to easily dodge the blast without losing any speed due to his inherent knowledge of how blades of wind worked.

Naruto summoned a kunai into his hand and coated it in a thin coat of wind chakra increasing its length and sharpness. Before Yomi had the chance to swing a second time Naruto was already within her guard and swung his blade at her knees.

A sharp pain blasted through Naruto's head and caused him to miss his target. With a loud cry his kunai flew harmlessly from his fingers, the chakra dispersing, as he lurched to the side. The pain was excruciating. It was as if someone had just stabbed him in the temple with a knife. He brought a hand up to his temple and held it gingerly.

Yomi didn't know what was going on but she quickly took advantage of the situation and swung her scythe wildly in Naruto's direction. A dozen blades of wind shot towards the distracted blonde. Naruto only had time to widen his eyes before the blades slammed into him.

Or at least they would have if a clone hadn't the presence of mind to change the plan and use a kawarimi to replace himself with Naruto. A poof sounded as the clone burst, taking the attack in place of its creator.

The final clone caught Naruto and stabilized his footing on the large branch he had landed on. The two of them could vaguely hear the Sekirei complain about all the interruptions and annoyances she had to deal with to capture Kusano.

"What the hell happened?" The clone asked Naruto as the original finally managed to get the pain under control. The two of them could hear as their target took off into the overgrowth again.

"I don't know. One moment I'm about to cut her legs off and the next it feels like 'I'M' the one being stabbed." Naruto muttered angrily as he rubbed his temple. He was upset. He had her dead to rights. This should have been over.

"You're bleeding?"

"What?"

"Your nose, there's blood coming from it." The clone said as he pointed at the original's face.

Naruto wiped his nose and noticed the blood on the back of his hand. It appeared as if he was indeed bleeding. "That doesn't make any sense. Kurama should be able to heal something that minor in an instant."

"Yes, he should have, and the chakra you had borrowed from Kurama is gone now." The clone pointed out. That was when the original realized that all the power he had borrowed from Kurama was gone.

_Kurama what the hell is going on?_ Naruto sent a telepathic message to his tenant. It was pretty abrupt and blunt but he didn't care since whatever had happened had caused him to miss his target. He was upset over that fact. The fastest way to get answers was to go straight to the source. Besides with the furball in his head perhaps he knew what caused the sharp pain.

_I'm a little busy kit!_ Kurama replied, his voice sounded a bit strained.

_With what? Chasing your tails?_

_No you nit-whit, fending off an attack on your mind._

Naruto blinked in surprised. A what? His mind was under assault? Kurama didn't sound like he was lying. And if he wasn't that meant this was serious and potentially very bad.

It also explained the sharp pain in his head.

Naruto turned to his clone, "Let's go. Kurama is otherwise indisposed. We won't be able to rely on him at all." Naruto said to his clone. The two quickly shot off after their target but stayed close together so that the clone could help Naruto if he experienced any more adverse side effects from the mental attack.

_What kind of attack? Where did it come from_? Naruto asked Kurama. He was far more respectful than earlier now that he was aware of the seriousness of the situation.

_Still busy kit, whatever it is, it's powerful. I haven't a clue what sort of attack it is but I'm not taking any chances._ Kurama explained, his voice sounded even more strained than before. Whatever it was that Kurama was struggling against it was taking a lot out of the fox.

_How did someone manage to attack my mind? I didn't see anything that could have done it._

_I'd be surprised if you did. You remember how I told you how Musubi's bond was connected to something outside your mind? Well guess what, something is attacking your mind through that connection._ Kurama informed Naruto. _Now enough with the questions whatever is attacking you is strong._

_How strong?_ Unfortunately Naruto didn't get a response; Kurama seemed to have gone back to defeating whatever it was attacking him. Naruto would have gone in to help if he didn't have concerns of his own out here.

Naruto cursed as he jumped from one large branch to the next. The very thing the two of them had feared would occur was indeed happening. Naruto hated this, he knew far too little about Sekirei and now it was costing him dearly.

It seemed he now had another goal aside from getting back into peak condition. No longer could he just sit back and let the world go by. It was time to start building a new spy network like he had back in the Elemental Nations.

Another sharp pain, although this one slightly less intense now that Naruto was prepared for it, ripped through his mind. Naruto grit his teeth and sped up even more. He had to end this now.

"There's blood coming from your ears now." His clone informed him.

"Kurama better hurry up and stop that attack." Naruto said as he wiped the blood from his ears. "I'm not an expert on injuries but I know bleeding ears are a bad thing." It was odd, there was no loss of hearing but it was probably only a matter of time until he was impaired.

"That's the edge of the overgrowth." Naruto's clone said. This caused Naruto to frown. He was right; the edge of the forest was definitely just ahead of them judging by the change in light. Naruto could definitely see the glow of the city lights getting brighter and brighter in the distance.

They still hadn't caught up to the Sekirei yet. This was problematic.

With one last burst of speed Naruto exited the overgrown arboretum and realized just how problematic the situation truly was. There was a long black car with tinted windows and multiple doors just outside the edges of the arboretum. The back door was open and outside of it stood the spoiled rich kid that Naruto had seen the previous night.

And in his arms was Kusano the Sekirei Naruto had promised to save.

Beside Hayato Mikogami was Yomi. She looked a little worse for wear than before. Naruto had scared her badly earlier. She had pushed her body beyond its limits in her hurry to get to her Ashikabi and away from Naruto.

Things got worse from there. There were two more women standing to either side of Hayato. Judging by the large chakra sources Naruto could feel from them they were definitely Sekirei.

One of them was a tall, lithe girl with long gray hair and dark eyes. She was clothed in a long, elegant white dress that was open in the middle revealing her ample cleavage and belly button. The Sekirei had no visible weapons that Naruto could see. She had self-satisfied smile on her face which quickly replaced to one of suspicion at Naruto's arrival.

The second Sekirei had long blond hair and purple eyes. She wore a black western styled dress with a large yellow vertical strip down the front. She was topped off with a pair of white gloves, black stockings and a pair of black high heels. Buckled to her waist was a long whip that reminded Naruto very much of ones he had seen back in Anko's room.

"Let Kusano go." Naruto demanded as he landed on the ground a couple meters from the Ashikabi. Naruto's clone had remained hidden just within the confines of the overgrowth ready to give his creator support from afar.

"It's you again! First you stole Akitsu from me and now you're trying to take Kuu-chan as well?" Hayato shouted in anger at Naruto. Naruto was certain he'd be pointed a finger indignantly if his arms weren't already full. "Well not this time! I have won Kuu-chan fair and square! The director said that it was first come, first serve! My Sekirei got to her first so it's my right to wing her!"

A low rumbling growl emanated from Naruto's throat, "The director is a madman. I'm not going to let you enslave an innocent girl like Kusano just because you're as deluded as he is. You're not her Ashikabi, you're not the one she reached out for and called to. Besides Minato got to her first, your Sekirei took her from him." He wasn't entirely sure if that was true but at least Minato was man enough to go in person, Hayato couldn't be bothered to do even that.

"You don't understand! This is a game and the Sekirei are pieces in that game! Whoever collects the most have the best chances of winning! I'm not going to ruin my chances of winning this game by giving up my hard earned prizes!"

Hayato was certifiably insane. Naruto knew that now beyond a shadow of a doubt. Earlier could have been chalked up to being a child but this went beyond it. Hayato had completely merged fiction and reality together. He was trying to replace actuality with his own reality. The worst part about the entire thing is that Naruto knew Hayato honestly didn't think there was anything wrong with what he was doing.

That made him a very dangerous person, one that words would not work with. In that regard he was worse than Madara. At least Madara was aware of the full implications of what he was doing.

Hayato didn't.

He had to die.

Naruto signaled his clone with his left hand and began to form hand seals with his right. Naruto frowned as he realized he was having incredibly difficult time moulding chakra. His control was as bad as it was during the academy. The conflict in his mind must be having a worse effect on him than he realized. He would have to improvise then.

Naruto couldn't mould his chakra to cast ninjutsu but he was still able to access his storage seals. Including the several hundred kunai he kept in the seals on his wrists. In an instant Naruto became a whirlwind of steel and death as he began to throw the kunai as quickly as he summoned them. Every second Naruto snapped a half dozen kunai through the air. These weren't aimed at Hayato however. Instead he threw them at his Sekirei to keep them occupied and unable to help their Ashikabi.

The Sekirei all acted in an instant. If nothing Naruto had to admire their ability to react. Yomi jumped in front of Hayato while the other two Sekirei began to dodge the kunai to the best of their ability. Naruto wasn't too worried about them, he wasn't aiming to kill them merely distract. However despite their agility and speed they weren't able to dodge everything and small slashes and cuts in their clothes began to appear.

Then Naruto began to move closer and closer to Hayato. A terrified look came over Hayato's face as he watched Naruto stalk towards him. For someone as sheltered as him Naruto must have looked like death itself.

Yomi began to fire blades of wind at Naruto from the end of her scythe. Naruto just weaved his way between the blades. Neither his forward movement nor his barrage of blades slowed.

Suddenly two large fūma shurikens arced out from the trees and headed for Yomi. The second one followed the path of the first exactly so that it appeared as if there was only one shuriken to the target. Naruto's aim was good from years of tossing shuriken and kunai. That was something that hadn't dulled over the months of complacency in this new world. The large quad-bladed shuriken would take Yomi's head from her shoulders before just barely missing Hayato and Kusano.

If the other two Sekirei didn't interfere Yomi was dead leaving a clear path for Naruto to go in for the kill.

However once again Naruto underestimate just how dedicated the Sekirei were to their Ashikabi. To Naruto's surprise the whip user lashed out while in the midst of dodging the kunai and threaded the end of it through the middle of the spinning fuma shuriken and yanked it to the side. It cost her though as three of his kunai found their target and embedded themselves in her body.

This gave Yomi enough time to ready her scythe and knock away the second shuriken which she hadn't been aware of.

Their efforts didn't matter though, it was over now. Naruto was close enough and he had a secondary plan just in case. "**Kawarimi no Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted as his hands flashed through the hand signs. He may not be able to mould chakra very well and his abilities may have been reduced to academy level but he could still do this jutsu even with his horrible control in the academy. Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke and was replaced with his shadow clone.

A clone whose hands were pressed together to make the tiger sign.

"**Fūton: Kazeyūdan no Jutsu!**" Naruto's clone roared as he breathed out a massive wave of wind that formed into the shape of a dragon. Unlike the flashier elemental versions of this jutsu it wasn't instantly identifiable. However it didn't take long for the Sekirei to realize just what it was they were looking at.

And just what it was that looked back at them.

Yomi had just enough time to scream before the dragon of wind cratered her into the ground. The jutsu detonated and sent millions of blades of wind directly into the Sekirei and the crater she had been forced into. Even her vaunted Sekirei durability did little to save her as the blades of wind tore her into pieces.

It was over in a matter of moments. Where Yomi had once been there was nothing aside from deep a hole in the ground covered with blood and tiny bits of flesh and bone.

Naruto's clone popped, all of its chakra used up. It had taken virtually every last drop of chakra the clone had to fire that jutsu, and it had taken the rest to ensure that it was directed into the ground to avoid collateral damage. The **Kazeyudan no Jutsu** was a Ninjutsu unique to Naruto. No other ninja that Naruto was aware of had a strong enough elemental affinity, large enough chakra reserves and good enough control to successfully pull that technique off. Wind was far harder to focus and control than any other elemental release, especially when one tried to force it into an unnatural shape like a dragon's head.

Naruto was just glad that whatever was that affected his control didn't affect his clones.

Hayato and the other two Sekirei just stared down at the mess that used to be Yomi in shock. One of their own had just been completely annihilated. There was no recovering from that. None of them, Hayato especially, had really understood just how far Naruto was capable of going to accomplish his goals.

Naruto took advantage of their shock and shot out from the trees a second time, this time he headed straight for Hayato. Hayato's eyes widened in fear as he watched helplessly as Naruto charged headlong towards him with a summoned kunai in either hand. The other two Sekirei were too far away due to Naruto's whirlwind of steel earlier to stop him in time. All Naruto had to do was watch out for the whip and Hayato was dead.

Simple right?

Unfortunately for Naruto when Murphy's Law hit him, it really hit him. "_Smashing Point!_" Naruto cursed and leapt to the side just in time as Mutsu landed where he had been and fractured the ground.

If Naruto hadn't moved he would have been knocked off balance and easily finished off by the sword wielding Sekirei.

"Ramen damn it, nothing is going right tonight." Naruto snarled as he stood up. Mutsu had taken away his last chance of rescuing Kusano. From what he had seen of the other two Sekirei he would be able to deal with them easily but not Mutsu, not in the state he was in.

Although Mutsu did look like he just walked out of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, his shoulder was probably broken, and his right looked as if he had just punched a fireball. Considering he had been fighting Kagari that was probably accurate. His hair was completely messed up, more so than usual, and was definitely looking a little on the singed side. His scarf was completely gone and that was definitely a kunai stab wound in his left leg.

Naruto had to hand it to the man, he was tenacious. Something he also shared with Shikamaru. His old friend may define laziness but when push came to shove and he was required to act he was like a force of nature willing to put everything on the line to achieve success.

Naruto's eye narrowed in on something as he noticed an oddity about Mutsu. His left shoe was rimmed with frost.

He didn't know any ice ninjutsus and none of the Sekirei he had left there were capable of using cold based abilities. That meant another Sekirei had joined the assault on Mutsu but the only one that would pick a fight with a single digit was someone that had something to gain from it.

Perhaps this was salvageable. And as if to confirm his suspicion Akitsu landed beside him. His second Sekirei had finally arrived. Naruto had wondered what had taken her so long but if she had stopped to aid Musubi then that made sense.

Naruto took a moment to take in Akitsu's appearance. Even in combat he couldn't help but admire her figure. Akitsu wore a long pure white dress with black trimmings, long voluminous sleeves and a black obi. The shoulders of the dress were pulled down and a great deal of cleavage was visible. The only thing that kept the dress up was some chains that connected either side of the dress and wrapped around her neck.

How Akitsu convinced Miya to let her buy something like that Naruto would never know, but he certainly wouldn't complain.

Akitsu's eyes widened in surprise and concern as she noticed the streaks of blood that flowed from Naruto's ears and nose. The bleeding hadn't stopped yet. "Ashikabi-sama…" Akitsu started but was stopped as Naruto placed a finger to her lips. He already knew what she was concerned about.

"I'm fine, where's Musubi?" Naruto asked.

"Down." Akitsu replied.

"Down? She's taking a break? Odd." Naruto frowned, that didn't sound like Musubi to him. She was a bundle of energy at all times. She would have given him a run for his money when he was younger. "Mutsu must have taken a lot out of her."

Akitsu didn't have the heart to say anything more and simply stood silently at the ready. Naruto had no idea just how right he really was.

"Mutsu! Thank god you're here!" Hayato said in relief as he tried to control his shaking body. His brush with death had rattled him badly. "That man attacked me and destroyed my Yomi!"

Mutsu glanced down at the bloody crater and frowned. His eyes narrowed as he looked over at Naruto. "You killed her, why?"

"Because she was in my way." Naruto stated as he eyed the gathering before him and tried to think up a plan. "Death is preferable to the forced enslavement Sekirei undergo when they're taken form their true Ashikabi."

"It's not slavery!" Hayato shouted out in anger, "They're meant to be winged. Any Ashikabi is as good as another. I'm just better than the rest at finding Sekirei!"

Naruto could tell from the look on Mutsu's face that he didn't agree with his Ashikabi on that front. However Naruto knew that Mutsu would follow his Ashikabi's wishes regardless of his own views or morals. That was one of the things that sickened Naruto about the bond between Sekirei and Ashikabi. While the Sekirei were all unique and had their own moral code, that code could be forcefully shelved if the Ashikabi demanded it.

"Hayato, we need to leave now. This man is too dangerous for us to remain here any longer." Mutsu said as he slowly backed towards his Ashikabi. He was careful to keep his eye on Naruto the entire time.

"Akitsu! Destroy that vehicle!" Naruto commanded. He had to stop them from leaving. He wasn't entirely sure what type of Sekirei Akitsu was but he had a feeling it had something to do with cold.

"Yes Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she raised her arms.

The air grew noticeable colder as the ground around Akitsu began to freeze. Hundreds of ice shards coalesced around her for a brief moment before a massive assault began to bombard the vehicle.

"Troublesome…" Mutsu muttered as he smashed the butt of his sword against the ground. "_Smashing Point!_" Mutsu shouted causing a wall of fractured rock to rise up before him. The shield of earth protected his Ashikabi and himself from the danger.

The other two Sekirei had to dive to the side to avoid being impaled by the wall of ice shards that swept towards the limousine. The sounds of shattering glass, twisting metal and exploding tires filled the air as the shards of ice tore through the vehicle with abandon. There was an explosion as the gas tank ruptured and a spark from the electrical system caused the remaining fuel to ignite. The wall of earth protected Hayato and Mutsu but the explosion scorched the other two Sekirei. Not enough to badly hurt them but they were going to feel that in the morning.

As the last of the ice shards finished turning the limousine into swiss cheese Naruto could help but whistle appreciatively. "Well, that was certainly more effective than I had hoped fo-ARGH!"

Naruto cried on in pain as he fell to his knees. He clutched his head in pain as yet another massive wave of agony scorched his brain. It felt as if his mind was being torn into a thousand pieces. Naruto had never experienced anything that bad in his life. He coughed and noted that some blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. He blinked to clear some liquid from his eyes.

_GOD DAMNIT KURAMA WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!_ Naruto shouted at his tenant. Naruto thought for a moment there that he was dying.

"Naruto-sama!" Akitsu cried out in shock, Naruto dimly noted that was the most emotion he had ever heard from her. He felt her place her hands on his face. Log they were cold, or maybe he was just overheating? Either way it felt very nice.

_This is ridiculous! It feels like I'm fighting Gyūki in here!_ Kurama shouted back.

_Well whatever you're doing in there, it's killing me. End it now, I don't care how, but END IT. I am DEAD otherwise._ Naruto shot back.

_Fine, but don't bitch about the results. This damn attack is homing in on Musubi's connection, I'm going to re-imprint it to myself. Without a destination it should be easy to force out._

_Why didn't you do that in the first place?_

_Because for all I know doing so will kill Musubi! We don't know enough about any of this shit._ Kurama growled out, he was as frustrated as Naruto was. He was the great Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. The greatest of the Bijuu, he should NOT be having this much difficulty.

_Do it._

If he died the connection would probably be severed anyways and they would both die. He would just have to rely on luck in this situation.

Not that luck seemed to be on his side tonight but something had to go right eventually.

With a grunt of exertion Kurama focused all of his power into a single concerted burst and lashed out at the mental assault. He simultaneously began to overwrite the connection Musubi had with the outside world using the silvery orb around his a medium. With an almost audible snap the connection swapped over and suddenly all of strain of trying to hold off the assault disappeared.

_Shit._

_Shit? What shit? I don't like hearing shit!_ Naruto cried out in a panic. Kurama didn't need to respond as the 'oh shit' became apparent.

Naruto's mouth opened wide as a soundless scream erupted from him. A massive shockwave rippled outwards from Naruto's mind and knocked him flat on his face. Hayato and his Sekirei cried out in pain as they too were slammed with the shockwave. They were all thrown backwards several yards before landing on their backs. Mutsu's earthen wall did nothing to stop the wave of force.

The shockwave of mental energy continued on and rippled across the city. Every Sekirei was affected by the shockwave and every Ashikabi tied to a Sekirei experienced the same pain their Sekirei did.

Only Akitsu seemed to be unaffected by it.

Naruto groaned and slowly rose to his hands and knees_. Kurama? What the hell was that?_ Naruto asked as he tried to shake the fuzziness from his head.

There wasn't any response.

Damnit that wasn't good, "Akitsu, get me out of here, take me to Musubi." Naruto gasped out. The mental pain was gone but he felt as if he was suffering from chakra exhaustion. Him of all people. He wasn't in any condition to continue fighting. And although the pain was gone his mind was completely scrambled. He even had trouble seeing straight. When he coupled that that with Kurama's odd silence and he didn't want to stay around here any longer.

Mutsu was even starting to get to his feet even though everyone else was still out. The two of them were more experienced and could handle pain far better than the average Sekirei or Ashikabi.

Naruto did not want to stick around an enraged Mutsu after what just happened to Hayato. Not in the condition he was in.

"Yes Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she gently picked Naruto up and shot away from Hayato and his Sekirei.

Naruto looked over Akitsu's shoulder towards the small Sekirei that was lying on the ground near Hayato. "I'll save you. I swear it. Even if I have to rip your bond away from that thing I will do so. Hayato is a dead man walking." Naruto vowed to himself and the small Sekirei on the ground.

For a brief moment Naruto thought felt a light touch on his mind and then it was gone.

Surprisingly it didn't take very long for Akitsu to carry Naruto to the battle zone where Musubi had fought Mutsu. It was definitely in far worse shape than it had been from the memories his last clone had given him. The ground was in complete shambles. Craters and earthen spikes riddled the area and scorch marks could be seen everywhere. The embers of a few intense fires still glowed in some areas that had experienced a particularly strong fire.

Kagari was slouched with his back against a particularly large pillar of earth. He didn't look very good. His body smoldered as if he himself had been set on fire at one point in time. Many parts of his clothing had been burned away, thankfully not enough to compromise his modesty.

Near him was Musubi. She was laid out flat on her stomach with her face tilted to the side. Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she had been on the end of several nasty wind ninjutsus. There were cuts and gashes all over her body and a small pool of blood had definitely started to form beneath her. For some reason all of her clothes were destroyed save a pair of plain white panties.

However those injuries weren't what concerned Naruto the most as he stared at the nape of Musubi's neck.

Her Sekirei crest was gone.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Some people may wonder why Naruto didn't just have Akitsu finish off Hayato and his Sekirei? The reason is simple, he didn't think of it. At that moment in time his mind was pretty much on automatic. His reasoning and thinking capabilities were completely ruined by the mental blast that scrambled his wits. In his mind he was hurt, badly, and was completely incapable of fighting any longer. To compound the situation a powerful opponent was recovering and Naruto had no idea what kind of shape said opponent was in. He hadn't even considered the fact that he had additional assets he could use to continue the fight. Had he been in full control of his faculties he would have finished them off, no doubt, but with his wits scrambled all he could think about was the welfare of his Sekirei and himself.

Also what caused the shockwave? It'll be explained later but I don't mind saying it here. It's easy enough to guess anyways. The connection was severed that meant that the force trying to attack Naruto lost its forward momentum. It also lost its path to return to its source. That meant it just sat there. This also meant that it had no way to reinforce itself and power up. With no were to go and no way to regenerate the force behind the attack it just detonated when Kurama hit it with everything he had.

As for why Minato/Kaho wasn't able to beat Yomi in my story? Well Musubi was only able to beat Yomi due to Miya's training, Kaho never got that training. Kaho is strong, don't get me wrong, but Kaho is at that moment in the story, probably only a little bit stronger than Musubi without Miya's training and it was specifically Miya's training that allowed Musubi to win. And now everyone knows what's been up with Minato. More on him next chapter.

And finally... everything I said last chapter about this one is true, you may just need to push the envelope of your mind to see some of it.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

**Jutsu List**

**Naruto:**

**Fūton: Kazeyūdan no Jutsu **– (Wind Dragon Bullet Technique)

This is a wind ninjutsu unique to Naruto. With this technique Naruto releases a giant breath of air infused with his chakra. He then manipulates that chakra so that it forms into the shape of a dragon's head. It's incredibly difficult to control but if done right gives the user greater ability to direct the course of the wind based attack. Because of the nature of wind only a person with an extremely high affinity for wind based abilities can even hope to utilize the ability.

**Kawarimi no Jutsu **(Body Replacement Technique)


	12. Chapter 11: Consequences

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Note: This chapter came out quickly for two reasons. One I finished the chapter I was working on in like 4 days and secondly I felt you all needed a bit more closure after what happened last chapter.  
**

**This chapter basically wraps up most things from last chapter. This chapter is going to give some explanations to the things that happened in the last chapter and be used to fill Naruto in on some basics about the Sekirei Plan that I never found a good time or way to write into the story before now. There are also some interesting little bits of foreshadowing scattered throughout this chapter as well.**

**Review Responses:**

Wow, I lost some followers and favorites last chapter, to be expected however. Musubi and Kusano are both beloved characters of many followers of the Sekirei series. Doing what I did to them was most certainly going to have a serious impact on the number of people still reading my story. It sucks being on the receiving end of such vitriol but I can't say it wasn't expected.

Anyways I'm not going to try and justify anything particular aspect of the chapter this time. I've tried that in the past and people still argue with me, that and it'd take me like five pages just to address everything that's been tossed at me. Anyways I didn't just throw last chapter together on the fly. Last chapter was planned out in my head long before I ever wrote the first word of this story: Kusano being taken by Hayato, Musubi losing her crest, Naruto screwing up as badly as he did, all of it.

There are three more points in the story to come that are similar. Everyone starts writing a fan fiction for a reason, they want certain 'what if' scenarios to play out instead of canon. For me there were four major points that I wanted to alter/write. Last chapter was the first of four major points that I had already envisioned in my head before I ever put 'pen to paper' so to speak.

The only thing I had to do when I arrived at this point was make it as logical as possible and written as well as I could. You could say that every chapter from the moment Naruto met Musubi up to last chapter was considered the 'Musubi Arc'. It existed for a single purpose, beyond simply laying the ground work for my story. That purpose was to build Musubi up into a character that people cared about.

I didn't want to just toss her to the side with some retarded Dues Ex Machina. I wanted her death to be as realistic as possible, I wanted it to have meaning and most importantly I wanted you to 'care' about what happened to her.

And on that note I think I succeeded very well judging from the reactions I got last chapter.

As for Kusano, I'm just going to say Naruto hasn't given up on her yet and he's done playing around now.

Finally my story isn't going to be all sun shine, lollipops and rainbows. There are going to be several ups and downs in my story. We hit rock bottom last chapter and the only way to go from here is up. There will be more dips in the future, more climbing up from the bottom to new heights only to fall again. It's going to be a roller-coaster ride but I hope that in the end, when all is said and done, you'll be satisfied. After all, no one wants to read a story that ends on a bad note.

On a side note I despise rape, there won't be any in my story if people are worried that some of the dark points to come are hinting at that. What happened in Chapter 2 is the closest this story will ever get. Of course everything else is fair game.

**Chapter 11: Consequences**

Musubi's Sekirei crest was gone, that was a major problem. Naruto was woefully ignorant on the whole Sekirei scene but even he knew that the crest was an integral part of being a Sekirei. Musubi had always had the crest; from the day she had first kissed him it had been a constant part of Musubi.

Now it was gone and that was a bad thing.

Kagari looked up as Akitsu landed with Naruto in her arms. Kagari stared darkly at Akitsu for a moment before turning away. Judging by the way he rubbed his temple with one of his hands he must have suffered from the mental shockwave as well, albeit not as badly as those at the epicenter.

"I see you got roughed up pretty badly as well." Kagari said as he took in Naruto's injuries. "Did you save Kuu-chan?" He asked although he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

Naruto looked away and sighed, "I failed." He wasn't going to make excuses even though there were a number of extenuating circumstances that had factored into his failure that were beyond his control. "I swear I'll find a way to rescue her."

Kagari sighed and rubbed his eyes with his free hand, "I suppose it was too much to hope for. Yomi had too much of a head start before you started after her."

Naruto didn't reply to that. It was best that Kagari assumed that was the case than to know that he could have saved her if he hadn't messed up.

Akitsu approached Musubi and gently placed Naruto on the ground beside her. The blonde shinobi sat on his knees as he gently brushed the spot where Musubi's crest had once been. Her crest was gone but something still bothered Naruto, he was missing something here.

"I'm sorry Naruto-san. I tried my best support Musubi as best as I could but-"

It was a very humbling experience for the flame wielding Sekirei. He was going to have to change his strategy if he wanted to continue protecting unwinged Sekirei. He wasn't going to be able to do anything if there were Sekirei that could just walk all over him like he didn't exist. Mutsu had beat both him, Musubi with her Norito AND two of Naruto's clones. If Akitsu hadn't shown up when she did Kagari would have probably been trussed up and delivered to Hayato Mikogami.

"It's alright, I know what Musubi is like." Naruto sighed. It wasn't alright but he wasn't going to blame someone who looked like he was half dead for not trying hard enough. It was his own poor decisions that caused everything to go wrong; he had to take responsibility for his actions.

"Still, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I never imagined a member of the first disciplinary squad could be so far outside of my league." Kagari mourned bitterly.

Naruto waved away his apology, "First Disciplinary Squad? Who are they? I've fought Mutsu twice now. Are the others stronger than him?" Naruto asked curiously. Squad implied that there was more than one. If there were others on the same level he'd have to be more careful. He'd have to ensure he always had a sufficient supply of chakra on hand to handle those threats.

Kagari hesitated for a moment as he warred with himself to determine how much he should say, "I don't know all the specifics but I know a little." That would excuse the gaps in his explanation, "They were the original protectors of the Sekirei. Many world governments wanted to take them and experiment on them. The First Disciplinary Squad was formed to stop incursions." Naruto nodded in understanding. As insane as Minaka was he wasn't stupid. "As you probably know by now each Sekirei is labeled with a number. This is the order in which they were adjusted and released. The single digit Sekirei, 01 to 09, are all considered stronger than all the ones above them. The first disciplinary squad was made up of the 5 most powerful Sekirei, numbers 01 to 05. Mutsu is No. 05. I'm No. 06 and I thought I could at least match him to some degree but I was wrong." It really had been a humbling experience. Mutsu hadn't even been trying seriously when he was fighting alone.

"So the first five Sekirei all stand head and shoulders above the rest?" Naruto asked.

Kagari nodded, "There are some exceptions but that is the general rule." Matsu for example was powerful, but not in the physical sense.

"Where does Mutsu rank amongst those first five?" Naruto asked intently.

"Somewhere in the middle. I know two for sure that are above him. No. 04 Karasuba is for sure stronger than Mutsu but compared to them No. 01 is in a completely different dimension. Comparing No. 01 to Mutsu would be like comparing Mutsu to Musubi without her Norito."

Naruto frowned at that. Mutsu was strong, but he was easily manageable provided Naruto didn't mess up or half-ass things. But if this No. 01 was on a completely different level then that was someone he didn't want to fight unless he had to. However something Kagari said didn't make any sense. "What's a Norito?"

Kagari blinked in surprise at the question. He was sure that Naruto knew what it was since he had powered up Musubi before leaving. Had that simply been a coincidence? "When an Ashikabi kisses their Sekirei the Sekirei's strength grows by leaps and bounds. They almost always gain some new and unique abilities that they aren't normally capable of using. They usually recite an incantation that is ingrained into their core. It just comes naturally to them even if they were not aware of it before hand."

"Oh, so that's what happened to Musubi when I kissed her."

"Yes."

Well he now knew a little more about Sekirei but it wasn't enough, there was far more he needed to find out. However there was another thing that bugged Naruto.

"What are you still doing here Kagari?" Naruto asked curiously. As far as he was concerned he had no real interaction or investment in Musubi. He and Musubi barely interacted at all back at Miya's place. Hell the two of them interacted even less so it was odd that Homura seemed to be so willing to divulge all this information.

Although it could be guilt that he had failed to save Musubi from getting beaten that opened him up.

"It's Homura." He said, although it lacked his customary fire. He must really be tired. "When a Sekirei is deactivated it's a common courtesy for the person that defeated them to stand watch over the Sekirei so that no one defiles the body." Homura explained. Mutsu hadn't stayed behind but he had been chased away by Akitsu so Homura had opted to watch instead.

Deactivated? Naruto's wits had begun to recollect again. Homura had probably meant that the disappearance of the crest was a deactivation. But deactivation implied that there was some kind of mechanism behind the scenes that controlled whether or not the Sekirei were able to move about, act and think.

"I'm not sure I understand." Naruto replied in confusion, he still knew so little about Sekirei.

"For someone willingly to jump head long into the Sekirei Plan you seem woefully ill-informed." Kagari pointed out.

"I've been so busy I haven't had time to just simply sit down and get explanations from people. Not that I knew who I could talk to. The plan is supposed to be a secret and Musubi is hardly a fount of knowledge." Naruto explained.

Kagari sighed and rubbed his chest, "The Sekirei Plan or Game or whatever you want to call it has systems in place." He explained, "Sekirei are meant to fight in one on one battles until there's only one remaining. There are three ways to defeat a Sekirei. The first and most gentle way is to have your own Sekirei touch another Sekirei's crest and recite an incantation. It'll deactivate them without hurting the Sekirei. Their core will stop and the Sekirei will cease to move."

Well Naruto didn't know about that. Letting a clearly defined enemy live that could come back to bite him wasn't really his style. He'd been bitten too many times during the way to afford himself that luxury anymore. "That doesn't seem logical. Could they not just recover and become a threat in the future?"

Kagari shook his head negatively, "No, once deactivated MBI come and pick them up. What they do afterwards with the Sekirei I don't know but they're never seen again. The deactivation severs the connection between the Ashikabi and the Sekirei."

Naruto frowned as a bad feeling started to form in the pit of his stomach. A very bad feeling. That sounded like another fate worse than death. You weren't dead, but you lost all ability to resist, were ripped from the one you loved and were forcefully taken in by a madman to do who knows what to your prone body.

"The second way is to simply hurt them badly enough. The Sekirei Crest acts as a sensor of sorts in addition to many other things. It monitors the body and when it registers that too much damage has been inflicted on the Sekirei it deactivates itself to prevent the Sekirei from experiencing too much needless pain. That's what happened to Musubi."

The feeling in his stomach was getting worse. Naruto knew this wasn't a bad case of indigestion and it wasn't coming from any illness. Dread began to worm its way into his mind as a startling realization began to dawn on him.

"The third and final way to stop a Sekirei is the most extreme way and is frowned upon by all competitors and that's to flat out kill the Sekirei. I've only heard of one Sekirei that's been killed since the start of the game. No. 84 Yashima."

Naruto swallowed hard as he tried in vain to NOT process the thought that was going through his mind, "Kagari… if a Sekirei takes too much damage just HOW does the crest deactivate itself. By itself it doesn't seem to have the capabilities to shut down the Sekirei core." He had gotten that much from the little time he had analyzed Akitsu's crest.

Kagari didn't respond. He just looked to the side and focused on something else. Naruto could tell he was being evasive and that he knew the answer.

And Naruto had a feeling he knew as well. Tears began to leak from his eyes as he stared down at Musubi lying prone on the ground. That mental assault that Kurama had mentioned hadn't been a mental attack at all. He and Kurama had both been completely wrong.

It had been the deactivation command for Musubi. It just made too much sense, and the timing was too perfect, for it to be anything else. Musubi had barely been hanging in there trying to live when he had given Kurama the order to sever the connection. The cold hard fact slammed into Naruto harder than the shockwave earlier had as the realization completely dawned on him.

Mutsu hadn't killed Musubi.

He did.

"Damn it!" Naruto shouted as he punched the ground. The ground crack as the force from his blow shook the ground slightly. The skin on his knuckles split open. "It's all my fault, nothing has gone right tonight."

Kagari frowned at Naruto, he had expected sorrow but to blame himself? "You couldn't have known how strong Mutsu was. I saw how Musubi fought; she would have won against the majority of Sekirei herself. With your help and my own none save the few in the early iterations of the disciplinary squads stood would have stood any chance. There's no way you could have known this would happen." Kagari said as tried to console Naruto.

"You don't understand!" Naruto snapped at Kagari. The white haired man looked taken aback. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you."

"No, it was my fault." Although he'd never know the same kind of sorrow that Naruto was currently experiencing, he had seen a few Ashikabi lose their Sekirei and they were all pretty much as emotionally fragile as Naruto currently was.

The sound of helicopters became audible as the recovery squad started to arrive. There would be multiple since at least two Sekirei had been downed in the area.

Naruto placed his hand on the nape of Musubi's neck, he didn't want to hand Musubi's warm body over MBI but he wasn't in any condition, nor did he have nearly enough information, to start a war yet. He could always recover her later.

Wait, warm body? Naruto stared at Musubi for a moment before he stretched his senses out. He had stopped sensing chakra after the shockwave had blasted him on his face and realized something. Something here didn't make sense. "Kagari, when a Sekirei is deactivated their connection with their Ashikabi disappears correct?"

"Yes."

"Their core deactivates correct?"

"Yes, what are you getting at here Naruto?"

Naruto stared at Musubi for a moment before he barked an order, "Akitsu, keep those helicopters away from here. Don't shoot them down if they retreat but if they insist on landing close to us: Destroy them."

"Yes Ashikabi-sama."

"Wait what are you doing?" Kagari shouted in shock as he stared at Naruto like he was insane.

Dozens of icicle shards began to form around Akitsu. With a hiss they shot through the air, narrowly missing a couple of the on-coming helicopters; the pilots, whether by order or out of the need to survive, swerved and backed away.

Naruto looked up at Kagari and prepared to roll Musubi over carefully, "Musubi's core isn't deactivated and I can still feel the chakra pumping through her body. More importantly the bond is still there, I can feel it." What concerned Naruto just a little was that the bond had a different feel to it than before, but it was most definitely still there.

"That's impossible. Her crest is." Kagari gasped as Naruto carefully rolled Musubi over onto her back.

There on the Musubi's stomach was a new Sekirei crest, although it was completely different from the one she had before. There was another significant difference between this crest and Musubi's. It had the number 08 emblazoned on it.

"Yume." They both said at the same time. The two glanced at each other in surprise.

"You know Yume?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, she was the leader of the second iteration of the Disciplinary Squad. How do you know her though?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head unsure of how to say this, "I've spoken to her once, briefly."

Kagari placed a hand on his forehead and sighed, "I swear the more I learn about you Naruto the more I don't understand you."

Naruto quickly began to treat Musubi in the same fashion that he had with Kaho. He hated to use so much of the precious stuff in a single night but if he never used it for his precious people when would he?

"They appear to be avoiding this area Naruto-sama." Akitsu reported as she kept an eye on the sky. Naruto glanced over and noted that she was indeed correct. There had been four helicopters in total. Three had gone over to where Naruto had obliterated Yomi. The fourth was circling them at a distance but was careful not to get too close.

That was fine; it was a little late to hide what was going on here. He was satisfied so long as they didn't interfere. With the basic first aid applied Naruto placed a hand over his heart and summoned his hokage's cloak. He gently put it on Musubi and buttoned it up to protect her modesty.

Kagari to his credit wasn't too surprised by this. He was starting to think that nothing was impossible for the blond.

There was some movement by the edge of the forest and Naruto tensed. He wasn't in the mood for another fight but if he had to he wouldn't hesitate. However the tension disappeared as Minato walked out of the forest, his Sekirei Kaho leaned heavily on his shoulder. The naginata was being carried loosely in Minato's left hand.

Minato's face brightened as he saw Naruto in the distance but quickly went through a wide range of emotions as it switched from happiness and relief to confusion to finally worry and concern.

"Where's Kuu-chan?" Minato asked, "And what happened to you?"

Naruto drew blood as he clenched his fists tightly, "I failed to save her this time. I'll save her next time though, don't worry."

Minato sighed and looked to the side dejectedly. "I guess it was too much to hope for. She's probably already been winged."

"That won't stop me." Naruto said fiercely, "The crest is a seal; the bond is attached to in some way, I know I just know it. It's separate from the Ashikabi. Give me some time and I'll be able to tear Kusano's bond away from Mikogami and give it to her proper Ashikabi."

Everyone stopped and stared at Naruto in surprise. Even Kaho lifted her head to stare at Naruto as if he had grown a second head. The Sekirei bond was sacred, even if it could be forced upon a Sekirei against their will. But what shocked them the most was that Naruto honestly felt that he could do it. It was completely unheard of. It was as unheard of as stealing a Sekirei core.

Kagari's eyes widened even further as he stared at Naruto in horror. It couldn't be possible, there was just no way it was possible. Kagari had been briefed by Takami on what had happened to No. 84 and had been asked to keep an eye out and an ear to the ground for anything he could learn.

No, no he couldn't jump to conclusions yet. Naruto was a strange man with strange alien abilities that seemed to exist outside the normal, even when Sekirei were taken into account. There was no way he would know how to….

Kagari's train of thought shifted as he got away from that train of thought. Naruto was too nice of a guy to do something like that. No one that would torture a Sekirei and their Ashikabi so thoroughly would just sit there and take the beatings Miya doled out, even if he healed almost instantaneously with no scars…

Kagari sighed as he put his face in his hands. He was just going to settle with he had no proof and leave it at that until he knew more. Judging by how Takami had reacted to No. 84's death she'd fly off the handle and drive an entire army to Izumo Inn if she even suspected that Naruto had a hand in what happened to that Sekirei and then Miya would get involved and that would just cause all sorts of problems.

Yes, best to just keep silent for now.

"Musubi!" Kaho cried out and with a sudden burst of energy she practically teleported from Minato's side to Musubi's.

Naruto blinked in surprise, "You know her?"

"Yes, we were adjusted together and I was kidnapped with her. Yume and Karasuba rescued both of us. What happened to her?" Kaho asked in concern. Because of her involvement in that situation she knew that Yume had sacrificed herself to save Musubi.

"She, Kagari and a couple of my clones faced off against Mutsu."

"We lost." Kagari explained, "Mutsu only fled when the scrapped number arrived. Musubi's crest is gone."

"No!"

"Her bond is still there." Naruto said as he placed a hand gently on Kaho's shoulder, "I can still feel an active core inside her."

"I don't understand. Was she unwinged?" Kaho asked, she would have never thought of that had Naruto not mentioned about transferring Kusano's bond from one Ashikabi to another.

"I'm going to figure that out right now. Akitsu, guard me, don't let anyone near me. If someone tries to harm or touch me in any way, kill them." Naruto said as he got into the lotus position. This was hardly the place but he needed some answers before he could do anything.

"Yes Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she took up position beside Naruto. Kaho quickly backed away and moved to the other side of Musubi. She didn't want to be considered a threat.

**x~X~x**

Takami frowned as she watched Naruto sit cross legged as if he was meditating. She was currently sitting at the edge of the helicopter looking at Naruto through a pair of binoculars. It was certainly not what she had expected him to do. Although he never seemed to do what she expected. If one were to look up the definition of 'enigma' in the dictionary it would have Naruto's picture beside it.

And that was bad when one considered what she had seen him do tonight. MBI had kept a close eye on the little 'event' that Minaka had set up tonight. Multiple satellites, city cameras and watchers had been on hand to take note of everything.

It had been a fruitful evening; a lot of information had been gathered even if not all of it was good.

As Seo had said, Naruto was dangerous, even if he had labeled Hanabi as the greater threat. Takami had been more inclined to believe that Naruto was the far more dangerous of the two. Tonight Naruto had proven her correct. What she had seen him do defied explanation.

The swirling ball of energy he almost ambushed Mutsu was completely unknown. There was nothing like it among any of the documented Sekirei powers. Its destructive power was incredible for something so compact. What had worried her more than anything was that Naruto would have ambushed Mutsu successfully had he not been warned by Homura's expression. That was an incredibly impressive feat considering Mutsu had been on the first iteration of the Disciplinary Squad and all Sekirei were psychic to some degree or another.

And then there were the clones. While No. 56 Tsubame could make duplicates of herself they were never solid like the ones Naruto seemed to create. They didn't appear to be very durable but that was beside the point.

And then there was what he had done when he had confronted Mikogami. Naruto apparently could summon blades from thin air and hurl them with impeccable accuracy and had absolutely no qualms about killing.

Which he had demonstrated perfectly when he had completely obliterated Yomi. Takami had never seen someone so thoroughly and ruthlessly slaughtered before. Not even Karasuba defeated her opponents with such finality.

Speaking of Karasuba she was going to have to keep this from her. When Karasuba heard of this she would probably try to challenge Naruto to battle and that would draw Miya in considering where Naruto stayed now.

Naruto had displayed not one, not two, but multiple different abilities that seemed to be superior to anything that the Sekirei were capable of. Granted the Sekirei were all restricted and controlled lest they destroy Shinto Teito when they fought but it was impressive never-the-less.

And then there was his speed and apparent strength that seemed to be on par, if not surpassed, that of most power type Sekirei.

Naruto was dangerous, incredibly so. Between his abilities and his willingness to kill he would have to be watched, closely, and if possible controlled to some extent.

"Pass out a warning to all Sekirei and Ashikabi." Takami said to her aide sitting in the helicopter. She hadn't taken her eyes off Naruto since they had started to circle them. It had been a little hair rising when the scrapped number that Naruto had procured had started to shoot at them. "The north is to be avoided at all costs. The Ashikabi of the North, the Sekirei Slayer, is too dangerous."

"Yes Takami-sama." Her aid said. However before he could send the message Takami's phone rang. Minaka was on the line.

"Belay that order." Minaka said as he grinned through the phone, his yellow eyes practically danced with mirth behind his glasses, "Kukuku, this just makes the game more exciting don't you think?"

"But Sekirei are dying! They're not being disabled and collected, but out right killed!" Takami protested. The one thing that made the Sekirei Plan different from a flat out death match were the rules and conditions. Death was virtually unheard of, even if some Sekirei liked to brutally disable their opponents. Depending on who won the game all the Sekirei that had been disabled could be brought back, that's what made all this worthwhile. A dead Sekirei however was gone forever.

"And?" Minaka replied as if he didn't understand what Takami was getting at. "That just makes the reward all the sweeter when it's finally obtained! Not only did you win the game but you fought tooth and nail and overcame death itself to win! So exciting!"

"Minaka…" Takami began to growl.

"I won't hear another word Takami! No warning to the other Sekirei and Ashikabi. If they are killed by Naruto-kun then that just means they're not fit to ascend!"

Takami snarled and threw her phone out the helicopter. Minaka's laughter could be heard all the way down.

"He's completely insane!" Takami shouted in anger. She would get word out no matter what Minaka said but she couldn't use official channels or employees. Minaka would know if she tried to use them. She had to get word out to the other Sekirei by some other means.

Otherwise she was afraid they were all in grave danger.

Although she was beginning to wonder who she had to protect the Sekirei from: Naruto or Minaka.

**x~X~x**

"Well this is certainly not what I expected to see here." Naruto mused as he looked around.

His mindscape was in ruins. The rolling hills were charred and blackened. The once clear blue sky had been transformed into something far different. It was a dark, rusty red with black boiling clouds racing across the sky. The stench of scorched earth filled his nostrils and reminded him distinctly of Konoha after the meteor had landed.

The landscape itself hadn't been deformed or twisted in any way. It simply looked, smelt, and felt like Armageddon had just ruined the once pristine landscape.

"Well I guess it does look like how I'm feeling right now." Naruto mused as he crested one of the ruined hills.

Naruto sucked in his breath at the sight before him. He had found Kurama. The nine-tailed fox was lying on his side almost completely unmoving. Naruto would have thought he was dead if it weren't for the fact that Kurama would have disappeared by now if that was the case. The old fox still breathed as well, although he appeared to be having difficulty from what Naruto could tell.

The silvery orb that normally hovered around Kurama was there as well although it appeared far less energetic than usual. It still floated just above Kurama's head but it was still, the surface sluggishly moved as if it was simply too tired to do anything.

"I don't think I'm going to get any answers from him right now." Naruto said as he gracelessly slumped to the ground. "What about you two?" Naruto asked as he held his hands up to his shoulders.

Hanabi's bond was unchanged. Whatever had happened in here didn't seem to have had any lasting effect, if any at all, on Hanabi. That was a relief to Naruto and made him feel a little better. He didn't know what he would do if he had hurt Hanabi with his mistake.

However that relief was quickly cut short as he stared at Musubi's bond. Tears began to leak from Naruto's eyes as he survived the shattered remains of the bond he once shared with Musubi. Where Musubi's orb had once been now there was a single, large pure white orb, with pink fragments floating around it. Even as Naruto watched a fragment dissolved and was absorbed into the white orb.

"Damnit!" Naruto cursed as he squeezed his eyes shut. The tears wouldn't stop, this was another promise broken. "Musubi…" He sobbed.

Musubi was no more.

There was only Yume now.

"Naruto…" A low rumbling voice called out.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked up. Kurama had one eye opened and looked at him sadly. His breath was still labored and Naruto could tell that it took all Kurama had just to speak.

"Don't talk, you need to rest." Naruto said. He didn't want to lose his oldest friend tonight as well because he wouldn't rest when he needed to.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I tried to contain the explosion as best I could." Kurama glanced over at the shattered remains of Musubi's bond. "But it appears as if I didn't stop enough."

Naruto shook his head slowly; he wouldn't let his old friend take the blame. "It's not your fault. You did everything you could. I was the one that told you to sever the connection."

"If I had thrown everything I had at it from the start I could have thrown it out before the attack had grown too strong."

"It's not your fault." Naruto repeated stubbornly. Kurama had just done what he had asked of him, he shouldn't have to shoulder any of the blame, not yet anyways. He knew Kurama would feel guilty later when he told his friend what the attack had actually been. He wanted Kurama to focus on recovering first.

"At least it shouldn't happen again." Kurama said as he closed his eyes, "That bond there is connected to me."

Naruto glanced over at the white orb that represented Yume's bond with Naruto. The pink fragments were still dissolving one by one and being absorbed into the larger bond. It was strange to think of it as Yume's now instead of Musubi's. "Thanks, rest now." Naruto said gently.

A low rumble escaped the fox's throat as he closed his eyes and feel into a deep slumber.

With the fox asleep Naruto left his mindscape. He could properly mourn later, tonight, when they were at the safety at Izumo Inn and not on the battlefield.

When Naruto's eyes snapped open he found everyone looking at him. Minato had crossed the broken ground to sit beside his own Sekirei across from Naruto. Kagari was still in the same place as he was before with his back against one of the stone pillars. He looked a little better, not physically, but at least his breath wasn't as labored as before.

Akitsu was the only one not looking at him. She was looking at everyone and everything as she followed Naruto's order exactly. At least it looked like she hadn't needed to follow through on her orders.

Naruto moved, unwinding himself from his lotus position, and bent over Yume. "We need to go." Naruto said as he gently picked up his fallen Sekirei.

"What was that? Did you figure anything out? How is sitting still supposed to get you any answers?" Kaho demanded. Naruto could tell she was concerned about Musubi.

"Musubi is dead." Naruto said bluntly. Kaho recoiled as if she had been slapped. "My stupid mistake got her killed."

"It wasn't you. Mutsu didn't hit any vital organs, I'm sure she's just deactivated." Kagari argued back. He still didn't believe Naruto when he said that the bond still existed. Although seeing Yume's crest on Musubi's stomach created a lot of questions for which he had no answers.

Naruto shook his head sadly. "I don't have time to explain fully. The command to deactivate Musubi never actually reached her. The mental shockwave we all felt finished off what Mutsu started and Yume is absorbing the last of fragments that was Musubi." Naruto explained as he began to walk back to Izumo Inn. It was going to be a long trip. He wasn't going to risk jostling Yume any by jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

He wasn't sure he even had enough energy left to jump from building to building.

Kagari frowned as he stared at Naruto. He rubbed his chest again as he pushed himself off the pillar.

"Wait what do you mean?" Kaho demanded.

Naruto looked at Kaho sadly, "I mean this isn't Musubi anymore, this is Yume." Naruto turned to Akitsu, "Come on let's go back to Izumo Inn."

Naruto didn't stick around to hear Kaho's response. He took off at a light jog as he headed back to Izumo Inn. He had delayed long enough. He needed to get away from the battlefield, away from prying eyes. Akitsu quickly hurried after him.

Kagari turned to leave but before heading to the rooftops he gave Kaho a quick glance. "Musubi fought with me against No. 05, Mutsu. She fought hard and she fought well. She gave him a harder time than I did. She went out like she always wanted, fighting."

With that Kagari jumped to the nearest rooftop and headed off into the night.

Kaho looked over at Minato with pleading eyes. Minato gave Kaho a small smile and helped her to her feet, "Well we do need a new place to live. Maybe this Izumo Inn has a free room?"

Kaho gave him a grateful smile and the two headed off in the same direction as Naruto.

**x~X~x**

"We're home." Naruto said wearily as he walked through the front door of Izumo Inn.

It was very late in the evening now. The trip back had felt especially long for Naruto who was used to getting everywhere quickly. Between the burden in his arms and the exhaustion he felt due to the day's events he hadn't moved very quickly.

As Akitsu followed him inside he could hear some thumping coming from down the hall. A few moments later Uzume burst into the living room. "Thank god you're alri-." Uzume stopped when she saw the unconscious form of Musubi/Yume in his arms.

"I'm alive, Uzume." Naruto said quietly as he closed his eyes. "I'm not exactly alright though."

Akitsu said nothing as she stood quietly behind Naruto's shoulder. Her eyes were strangely gentle and full of emotion as she stared at the back of Naruto's head. She was well aware of the grief Naruto was going through and was giving him what comfort he could with her presence.

"My god bro! What happened to Musubi?" Uzume asked in concern.

"She's dead."

Uzume flinched as if she had been struck by a massive blow. "Wha-What do you mean? How is she dead? Why do you have her instead of MBI?" Uzume fired off the questions in rapid succession.

Naruto just shook his head sadly, "I'm not really in the mood to explain things again tonight Uzume. Maybe in the morning. Let's just say Musubi's situation was… unique and that's why I have her body with me and not MBI." Even if the core had deactivated and neither Yume nor Musubi were connected with him he still wouldn't have handed the body over to MBI. He'd seen too many sick and twisted things done to the fallen to trust someone as obviously insane as Minaka.

Uzume just nodded dumbly. She didn't know what else to say. She had liked Musubi; she was fun to be around.

"Miya should be fine, she's just sleeping at the moment." Kagari said as he walked into the living room. He had come from the same direction as Uzume. He stopped for a moment when he noticed Naruto and gave him a slight nod, "Glad you made it back."

Naruto returned the greeting, "Yes, I'm back. What's this about Miya?" Naruto asked with concern.

Kagari looked at Uzume and prompted her to explain, "Ah, well ya see bro. A couple hours ago this, I don't know how to explain it, wall of ripples rolled over me. It hurt, like someone had just hit me with a sledge hammer. I blacked out for a moment but I vaguely remember hearing Miya cry out in pain." Uzume wrung her hands together as she concentrated on the earlier events. The thought of Miya being in pain worried Uzume a lot. She was aware of what Miya really was and the thought of anything being able to make 'the' 01 cry out in pain was scary. "Everything after that is a bit hazy like my mind wasn't working right but I managed to get to the kitchen where Miya had been cooking dinner. She had collapsed on the ground and there was some blood coming from her nose. I think I panicked a bit, Miya never gets hurt. I picked her up and carried her to her room. I've been watching over her since, she hasn't woken up yet."

That concerned Naruto more than just a little. He knew what it was that had hit Miya and Uzume. From the sounds of it, the shockwave probably affected all of Shinto Teito. There were going to be a lot of Sekirei and Ashikabi with headaches in the morning. However what concerned Naruto the most was that Miya was strong, very strong. Her will and sheer force of presence were easily a match for his own. She should have been able to shrug off the effects of the blast just as quickly, if not faster considering the distance, than he had.

"Will she be alright?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, she'll be fine." Kagari said as he walked past Uzume, "She just seems to be sleeping off whatever it was that hit her.

Naruto sighed with relief, that was good to know. Naruto had enough grief to deal with without adding more onto the pile. "Are you heading out again?" Naruto asked as he eyed Kagari's attire.

The flame wielding Sekirei was dressed in a full formal black suit complete with a white button shirt and a black tie. It seemed despite having only recently returned himself he had been able to clean himself up enough to look presentable.

"Yes, I still have my job as a Host. I have a rather important client I need to meet tonight." Kagari said as he walked past Naruto. He gave the blonde haired Shinobi a wave. Tonight's meeting was extremely important. The only excuse Kagari could give that would be acceptable would be death. Death was probably what would await him if he turned the meeting request down. His client really didn't take no as an answer very well.

The living room became quiet after Kagari left. Akitsu stood dutifully silent at her master's shoulder while Uzume simply looked back and forth between Musubi and Naruto, unsure as to what she should say.

"Akitsu, wait for me here. I'll be back after I lay Yume down upstairs." Naruto said softly as he padded across the room and up the stairs.

"Yume?" Uzume asked in confusion as she looked at Akitsu. The ice Sekirei just shrugged her shoulders. Despite both being low numbered Sekirei neither knew who Yume was. Akitsu had been confined to the labs on account of her 'self-winging' and Yume had come and gone before Uzume had been set free from the labs.

Uzume sighed and headed back down the hall she had come from. Someone should be at Miya's side at all times in case she took a turn for the worse. Miya being taken down by something was completely unheard of so Uzume was on edge.

Akitsu just stood silently in the center of the dining room.

After Naruto had put Yume down he slowly wandered back onto the main floor of Izumo Inn. His mind was a million miles away as he went back over a particularly painful memory. It was a memory of when he had lost someone else he had considered just as precious as Musubi due to his decisions.

_**** Flashback ****_

_Konoha was gone, pulverized and burned to ashes._

_The surrounding landscape flattened and destroyed._

_Ninety percent of Konoha's military force, destroyed._

_Civilian casualties, one hundred percent. _

_Shino and his Genin team, dead._

_Naruto mentally took stock of the damage done by Madara's not-so-surprise attack on Konoha. They knew it was coming, they just weren't exactly sure when. Naruto hadn't told the civilians about the possibility of total annihilation. They were required to run the village. Only those civilians that were required to run the hidden complexs and shelters survived. They had been evacuated a little over a month earlier when the fourth great village fell. Naruto knew then that it would only be a matter of time before Madara came knocking._

_The emotions drained from Naruto and his mind attained a hyper awareness. His duties as Hokage sometimes conflicted with his ideals. This was one such situation. Civilians were required for the village to function properly and if Naruto wanted to have any chance at beating Madara the village needed to run at a hundred percent capability for as long as possible._

_And this was the result._

_Naruto was thankful that was all they had lost this day. All the equipment, supplies and personnel required to go ahead with the plan survived._

_Everything that had been lost when Konoha had been destroyed was expendable._

_Shino and his team had survived long enough to allow those that had fled to get away to safety. Their deaths served a greater purpose._

_He however had stayed behind with a few of his most trusted and elite shinobi. There was a job they needed to accomplish. They needed to catch Madara, alone, without an army of minions behind him. This would probably be the last chance they had before the final confrontation._

_Naruto had an idea, a plan to defeat Madara, but it all hinged on a single special ability: The abilities of the Hyuga. In theory it should work but theory was not something one tested with trial by fire. They would only get one shot at killing Madara and he wasn't going to chance it._

_With Naruto were three other people. The first one was his ANBU Commander, Yugao Uzuki. She had been promoted when her predecessor died trying to save Hiashi from Sasuke. He had failed but it had bought Yugao enough time to flee with Hanabi._

_The second one was Genma Shiranui. He had discarded his Jounin position to enter the ANBU as a commander. He and his ANBU squad normally served as Naruto's hidden bodyguards. The rest of the squad had gone on ahead to the nearest underground bunker. He had stayed behind because of his knowledge of the __**Hiraishin no Jutsu**__._

_Naruto's final companion was Hinata Hyuga. She was a Jounin now, the current head of the Hyuga clan and Naruto's closest friend. He was aware of her feelings for him but the days didn't leave him much time to pursue emotional relationships with her. Perhaps if times were happier he would have asked for her hand in marriage._

_He knew she would have accepted. It was not only what her heart wanted, but it was a good political move for the Hyuga as well._

_But that was not to be. Today Hinata was going to die, and he was going to be the one to kill her._

_Oh he wasn't going to stab her himself, or burn, or suffocate or otherwise hurt her. But the order he had given her was no different than the one he had given Shino. He was sending her to her death._

_And she was walking towards it knowingly, willingly even._

_Their whole plan hinged on how effective the Hyuga's Gentle Fist was against Madara's immortal body. Naruto needed her to die so that they could judge just how much power, and the effect the strikes had, on him._

_He would love to keep her alive but everyone there knew that once she engaged Madara, there was no way Madara would let her leave in one piece._

"_Hokage." Naruto's eyes flickered over to Yugao, "The Queen has arrived."_

_Good, she was the key to this entire plan. She had a fire in her; he had banked on her ignoring the evacuation orders to come back this way. She wasn't the type to sit on the sidelines when either his or her sister's safety was concerned. _

_Naruto turned to Genma. "And Madara?"_

Almost here_, Genma signed as he chewed on his senbon needle._

_Yugao took that as her queue and silently slipped into the ground. _

_The group became silent as they quietly prepared for the confrontation. One of the things about Madara that went in their favor, at least for the moment, was his ego. He honestly thought he was unstoppable. And at the moment he truly was. This meant he enjoyed boasting and insulting his opponents before he tore them into tiny pieces._

_It was that opening that Naruto was hoping to exploit. It would also probably be the last time Madara exposed such an exploitable hole to Naruto. That was fine however since the next time they had a direct confrontation he wouldn't need such an opening._

_Hinata wouldn't get more than a few strikes in on Madara before he destroyed her. But they only needed a few strikes; Four at least, but obviously the more the better._

_The four of them tensed as they felt a familiar, and overwhelming, presence before them. Madara was here looking no different or worse for wear than the moment he had been brought back to life by the Edo Tensei. _

"_So the cowardly Hokage himself has decided to finally face me." Madara said as he looked down on Naruto with contempt. It was as if he was looking at a bug and was deciding the best way to squash it. "Trying to buy a little extra time for your pathetic friends to escape? How noble of you although all you have done is buy your friends a few extra days. After all once I have you the Moon Eye Plan can be completed."_

_Naruto said nothing as Madara slowly walked towards him. There was nothing he wanted to say to the madman, and he wasn't going to give Madara the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him. The man had a god complex._

"_What's wrong Hokage? Too scared to speak? Those little Genin I crushed a few minutes ago begged for mercy as I slowly cooked them-." Madara was cut off as the four Konoha Shinobi exploded into action._

_Two hands burst from the soil beneath and latched onto Madara's feet surprising the egomaniacal manic. He had sensed absolutely nothing, although Naruto would have been surprised if he had. Yugao could not only completely erase her presence, but she could replace her presence with her surroundings so that it seemed as if there was nothing there._

_At the same time as Yugao latched onto Madara's feet Naruto charged up some chakra in his hands and slapped them onto the ground. Tendrils of chakra shot across the forest floor and activated two seals on either side of Madara. Shadowy tendrils shot up from the ground and latched onto Madara's arms and yanked them roughly to either side. Shikamaru had been a great help when Naruto had sought to create a seal that could bind Madara's movements for a few seconds. While only a Nara could use the shadow jutsu techniques directly, it was possible for other people to utilize their techniques in a limited fashion through the use of seals._

_Genma went through a series of hand signs and placed his hands on the ground beneath him. He was standing just behind Naruto ready to activate another seal that would use the __**Hiraishin no Jutsu**__ to teleport everyone within the sealing array to the primary bunker complex. This was how Naruto planned to get away from the clearing with Madara being able to follow. It was one of the few ninjutsu that Madara did not know and could not copy._

_When Yugao latched onto Madara's ankles it signaled Hinata that it was her time to act. "__**Hakke Sanjūni Shō!**__" Hinata shouted as she slide up to Madara and launched into her families patented technique._

_Her arms blurred as she struck as fast as she could, "__**Two Palms!**__" Hinata shouted as she slammed her palms into Madara's torso._

"_**Four Palms!**__" Two more strikes slammed into Madara. Each strike had varying degree of chakra laced with them so that they could determine just how much was required to do anything._

_So far none of the strikes had been enough. Madara's armor was made out of some kind of chakra resistant material and weak chakra strikes were being dispersed before they could cause any real harm._

"_**Eight Palms!**__" Hinata shouted as she pumped as much chakra as she could into each strike. These strikes seemed to have more success as she could actually see a couple tenketsu close after she used enough chakra to force her strikes past the armor._

_However by this time Madara had been able to recover. Hinata had just finished landing the seventh strike when Madara backhanded her across the clearing. He tore himself from the shadow bindings and literally ripped Yugao from the ground with raw brute strength. The ANBU commander wasn't able to let go as Madara had used his chakra to keep one of her hands glued to his ankle._

_Yugao wasn't the ANBU commander for nothing. She quickly realized that Madara wasn't going to let her go that easily so the moment she broke free from the ground her free hand pulled her sword from her back and slashed at Madara's leg._

_Before the blade could land however Madara grabbed the blade with his gauntleted left hand and yanked it forward pulling the airborne Yugao towards him. His right hand reached out and grabbed the wrist holding the sword before she was able to let go._

_With a sickening crunch Madara clenched his chakra enhanced grip and pulverized Yugao's wrist into a bloody mangled mess. Yugao bit back a cry of pain as she pulled her ruined hand back and tried to lash out with a kick._

_Hinata used the time that Yugao bought fighting Madara to shoot over to Naruto's side. The seal array that Genma and Naruto had set up wasn't very large. At most it could take four people and barely had room to fit that many._

_Madara kicked out and released the chakra binding his ankle to Yugao's hand but not before scorching her hand with Katon chakra. Yugao flew through the air and headed towards one of the many large trees at break neck speed._

_A flash of color zipped across the clearing and instead of slamming into a tree Yugao was caught in the arms of someone. As the individual lowered Yugao to the ground said individual looked up with a pair of activated Byakugan._

"_What are you doing here?" Yugao hissed at Hanabi doing her best to act the disappointed superior._

"_I'm not going to just stand by while you face Madara. Not after what he did to my home!" Hanabi growled as she glared at the ancient Uchiha._

"_You annoying insects are only delaying the inevitable." Madara snarled as his hands flashed through a series of hand signs._

_Hinata's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the technique Madara was about to use. He had used it before to incinerate entire squads of Konoha Shinobi. "__**Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku!**__" Madara roared as he spat out a massive wall of intense flame._

_Hanabi's eyes widened in fear as she quickly got into position in front of Yugoa. She could easily teleport away but that would leave Yugao at the mercy of the attack. Both of Yugao's hands had been ruined. If she was going to die, and she knew she would, the least she could do was weaken the attack enough for Yugao to live. Maybe if Madara hadn't put too much chakra into the attack she could deflect the entire thing. "__**Kai-**__." _

_She never got a chance to finish, "__**Kawrimi no Jutsu!**__" Hinata whispered as she replaced herself with her sister._

_There was no scream from the two as the wall of fire washed over them. They were incinerated almost instantly. Even if their deaths hadn't been instant neither of them would have given Madara the satisfaction of hearing their screams. _

"_**NOOO!**__" Hanabi's cry shattered the heavens as she watched in horror and disbelief as her sister took the attack meant for her._

"_Get us out of here!" Naruto roared over the cry of Hanabi's anguish._

_Obeying his Hokage Genma activated the seal and with a flash of light the three of them were gone._

_**** End Flashback ****_

There was a light pressure on his arm as Naruto opened his eyes. He hadn't remembered closing them but he had at some point during the reflection. He turned his head a little and smiled at Akitsu who stared at him with concern etched across her face. It was her hands that were on his arm as she tried to give him what comfort she could.

Naruto appreciated the kind gesture. He knew that something as small as that with Akitsu was akin to someone like Musubi smothering him in hugs.

It was then that he noticed for the first time that his cheeks felt damp. He wasn't surprised by the tears; that was one of the worst moments of his command. Everything had gone exactly as he had predicted, as he had desired. The entire thing had gone off flawlessly. The four of them had worked out every last detail; they had even tried to predict every aspect of Hanabi's movements and had adjustments to their plan ready to use to account for differences in her actions. Hinata had gone to Naruto's side not to escape, but to be in the right spot to replace herself with her sister. Had her sister not caught Yugao she still would have replaced herself with wherever Hanabi had been.

There was a slim chance that Hanabi would have appeared at Naruto's side but that would have gone against everything they knew about her personality. It also would have ruined their plan. They needed Hinata's and Yugao's deaths to act as fuel to push Hanabi's determination and drive to extreme heights. It was the only way she'd become powerful enough fast enough.

As good as Yugao was Hanabi had been progressing too slowly under her tutelage.

Hanabi had a role to play and Hinata and Neji unfortunately couldn't fulfil that role. They each had their own speciality within their bloodline and both knew that neither could bring enough power and control to sufficiently penetrate Madara's protection. Neji however had the duty of training and perfecting Hanabi's techniques after Hinata's death. That's why he lived while Hinata died.

And there had been no other known Hyuga still alive.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately depending on one's point of view, everything had gone off perfectly. Hanabi had blamed herself and Madara equally for her sister's death. It drove her to extreme lengths to improve so that she could kill Madara and to atone for her mistake. Her eyes had seen everything Hinata's had seen. She knew how much chakra was required to make it past Madara's defenses. She was aware of how quickly he could react and how the closing of his Tenketsu had affected him. She was now the perfect tool to bring the madman down. All she needed was to perfect her own family's technique and improve the power behind her strikes, and both of those would come with time. As far as mission results were concerned it had been a complete and total success.

And no other combination success or failure before or after had ever hurt him as badly inside as that one successful mission.

At least not until now.

"Ah, hello?" Naruto was broken from his reverie as a familiar voice called out.

Naruto and Akitsu turned and sure enough just outside still open front door were Minato and his Sekirei Kaho.

"Hey Minato, what brings you here?" Naruto asked, it was curious that Minato would follow him to Izumo Inn. He would have assumed that he and Kaho had a place of their own to return to.

"Well ah, you s-see." Minato rubbed the back of his head nervously, "My place was a bachelor pad. It was meant for singles and the landlord found out this morning that Kaho was living with me… ahah."

"And so he kicked you out?"

"Well he didn't just toss me out but I need to find a new place to stay and when we heard you were at an Inn, and Musubi is here. Well Kaho…" Minato trailed off. He looked like a nervous wreck right now. Naruto supposed that with everything that had gone on tonight a normal person would have rather frayed nerves.

At least that explained why Minato was here.

"Ara? Who do we have here?" A melodious voice asked from behind Naruto.

A soft smile momentarily crossed Naruto's lips at the sound of that voice. Miya was up and awake now. That was good. He would have been devastated if he had been responsible for putting Miya into a coma. He had lost enough tonight.

"It seems that Minato here wishes to become a new tenant of yours." Naruto explained as he turned to look a Miya.

To most people she would look as she always did: Calm, demure and utterly perfect. But Naruto could see the tell-tale signs that she was anything but. Her hair wasn't combed to its usual perfection. Her posture was slightly slouched and she had a hand on the door frame to help keep her perfect balance. The muscles in her neck and arms looked a little too tense to be natural. It was her eyes however that told Naruto the most. She was practically dead on her feet but there was a fiery determination in there that refused to allow exhaustion to get the better of her.

He humored her and pretended he didn't notice anything. He gave her a soft, genuine smile, "I'm glad to see you're up. Uzume had me worried earlier."

Speaking of Uzume Naruto didn't see the Sekirei anywhere. He stretched his senses and found her upstairs in her own bedroom. He must have really been out of it if he hadn't noticed her as she walked past him to head upstairs. Or maybe it was just a sign of how much he trusted her.

Miya closed her eyes and gave Minato a welcoming smile, "I see you wish to stay here?"

Minato bowed low, "Yes! Please! We were evicted from our apartment so we have nowhere to go!" Minato begged Miya.

"Please raise your head. My husband was someone who didn't prevent people from coming. Welcome to our Izumo Inn." Miya said as she opened her eyes.

Kaho turned and hugged Minato tightly, "Isn't this wonderful! Now we have a place to stay."

Minato blushed and smiled at Kaho.

"I have a feeling that this place is going to get rowdy from now on." Naruto said as he eyed Minato and Kaho.

"You say that as if this place isn't already with you and Musubi-chan." Miya said lightly. She raised her free hand to her mouth and gave a tired chuckled.

Naruto flinched. The look he gave Miya was a haunted one, filled with pain and loss. Naruto sighed softly and without another word he headed upstairs. Akitsu was quick to follow.

Miya's eyes lingered on Naruto as he made his way upstairs. She bit her lip as she took in Naruto's posture for the first time and noticed that he looked as exhausted as she felt. And it wasn't just physical exhaustion that he was dealing with.

She placed a hand on her breast. For a moment she had the urge to head upstairs and comfort the blonde haired enigma. She was washed with guilt for not noticing Naruto's demeanor earlier and the pain her ill-chosen words had caused him.

Had she been paying attention she would have realized sooner that Musubi was gone.

**x~X~x**

The streets were virtually empty as Homura walked down the street. That was fine with the flame wielding Sekirei though as he didn't want too many people to know about this meeting. The fewer people that knew the better. Lights appeared behind him and a nice black BMW pulled up beside him. A hand reached out an open window and beckoned him inside.

Homura stepped up to the car and opened the door, "A meeting by tinted car, rather prestigious." He said.

Takami gave him a level look as she placed the lit cigarette in her mouth. She was dressed in a black one piece dress that criss-crossed above her breasts and exposed ample cleavage in the middle and left the shoulders and arms bare.

"Because it was a promise. If I'm going, I might as well be fancy." She leaned back and folded her arms beneath her breasts. She closed her eyes and inhaled lightly, "I inflicted harm on you because of this incident."

"Ah, more or less." Homura brushed off her concern, "You seem unusually attentive."

Takami opened her one good eye and glanced over at Homura, "I'd berate you for being whiny but I hadn't expected you to face off against Mutsu tonight. I'll let you off this once."

"Ahaha." Kagari laughed good naturedly.

Takami's eyes narrowed as she got down to business, "What do you know about Uzumaki Naruto?" Takami asked intensely.

Homura had a feeling this conversation would eventually find its way to the enigmatic blond. "Not as much as I'd like." Homura admitted as he looked up at the roof of the car, "He seems to possess speed and strength to match a Sekirei and exhibits abilities for which I have no explanation for. For the few that I recognized they all seemed to be more advanced versions of what the Sekirei use."

"Did you know that he killed No. 43 Yomi?" Takami asked.

Homura looked at her sharply, "A level 5?" Takami nodded. Homura placed a hand on his forehead and sighed, "I can believe it." He said as he thought back to how Naruto, or at least his clone, had acted on the battlefield with Mutsu. He had always targeted locations that would cripple or kill Mutsu. It was only due to No. 05's extraordinary battle skill that he didn't suffer any serious injury.

"I would call it a level 6 if we had one. He didn't just kill her; he flat out destroyed her. There wasn't enough left to fill a bucket." Homura blanched at the image that conjured up. "I believe he is a true danger to this Sekirei Plan."

Homura wasn't so sure about that and he voiced as much, "I'm not so sure. He is a little extreme, yes, but it's not an entirely chaotic extreme. It always seems to be in regards to helping someone." Homura thought back to the time when Naruto had knocked out and kidnapped Hibiki and Hikari when they had tried to threaten Musubi. He had seen the two later looking no worse for wear.

Takami frowned as she leaned forward to tap the end of her cigarette into the ash tray. She didn't believe Homura but she wasn't here to start a fight, "Is there any way you can convince him to hand Musubi's body over to MBI?"

Homura shook his head, "I doubt it. He seems to be extremely mistrustful of MBI, besides there is something odd about Musubi."

"And that is?"

"Her crest is gone, I saw it disappear myself but… her core is still active and No. 08 Yume's crest is visible on her stomach.

"What!?" Takami exclaimed. "That shouldn't be possible!"

Homura nodded in agreement, "Yes, you're right, it shouldn't be. But it's there anyways. Naruto seems to think that Musubi is dead and that Yume is now in control of that body. I'll know more later."

Takami took a long drag from her cigarette to calm herself. This night was getting worse and worse. If Karasuba found out Yume was alive… well it wouldn't be good. Half of Shinto-Teito may end up getting destroyed in the resulting conflict. It was worse than having her and Miya fight it out since Miya could over-power Karasuba quickly enough that only a few blocks would suffer as collateral damage.

She would very much like to get her hands on Musubi's body to figure out what's going on but between Miya and Naruto getting to it would be too costly.

Homura kept quiet as Takami thought through his revelation. Takami seemed even more on edge than usual. If Yume riled Takami up this much then what would his other suspicions do? Better to keep quiet until he had more proof.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Whew, this chapter was actually kind of hard to write. Sorta. The first half was easy, right up until I got back to Izumo Inn. I actually created a new document to write out a sort of 'Sequence of Events' to help me get past the mini-block I had here.

Now that this chapter is over I can say this. From the start I had 4 Sekirei picked out for Naruto. More may be added to the Swarm, erm I mean Harem but I had 4 definite Sekirei. 1) Hanabi, 2) Yume, 3) Akitsu and 4) Yet to be Revealed (Although you've already met her). The fourth Sekirei is going to be very interesting.

Sekirei never actually explains just 'why' a Sekirei becomes deactivated. They describe certain actions that can cause it, but not 'why' those actions do what they do. Why does reciting a simple incantation cause a Sekirei to deactivate? There are a lot of unknowns in this area and I've taken liberty with it and have created my own explanation about Sekirei's, the bond, the core and how everything connects together. It's definitely going to be different than any explanation the Sekirei manga comes up with, but so far they haven't come up with anything so I'm still safe in that regard. In canon Sekirei the Sekirei are very much a black box, my story will take apart that black box and we will get to see what goes on inside there.

This is my take on what happened at that bridge with Yume and Musubi in the manga. I believe that when Musubi took all that damage, the deactivation command came and she was deactivated. But because she went dormant Yume was able to take over. Yume was able to basically move in and fix things. She restarted Musubi's core and reconnected the bond with Minato. When she went back into Musubi's subconsciousness Musubi was back to normal because Yume had been able to fix everything. However in my story because the command never came, Yume never had the chance to take over and protect Musubi. Think of it like this: Instead of turning a computer off by pressing the power button, you instead take a battleaxe to the CPU. Both will turn off the computer, one isn't recoverable though. With Musubi's fragile core destroyed beyond the ability to repair Yume's core, the one she gave to Musubi that was filled with her consciousness, basically slide into the void left behind by the destroyed one. And yes, I firmly believe that in the Sekirei managa Musubi has 2 cores, Yume's and her own wrecked one that Yume is holding together.

Now for a side note on the flashback. Yugao could have easily swapped herself with a log or used Sunshin to get out of the way of the wall of fire, even with her mangled hands. However that wasn't the point, she was there to die to help give Hanabi to motivation to exceed her limits. Yugao and Hinata could have both lived, but they both willingly gave their lives so that Hanabi would have the drive she needed to reach the level she needed to reach. Whether it's believable or not to you that Hanabi would need the deaths of two people she cared about to drive her to extreme heights is irrelevant. This is how I've built her character. She had drive before but she never had the drive to push herself so far beyond her limit it was actually dangerous and that's what they needed to get her ready in time.

Anyways stay tuned for the next chapter whenever it comes out! People want to see Naruto acting more like the Hokage you all expect him to be? Well that all starts happening next chapter.


	13. Chapter 12: Planning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**There's a self-insertion in this chapter… well kind of. You'll see, it's early on. It's the kind of self-insertion that I think is acceptable. Don't judge until you read it, you'll understand then.**

**Review Responses:** There were some reviews wondering about the 4th Sekirei. I said it before, but it's not one of Minato's canon Sekirei. Now, this doesn't mean that I have no intentions of adding a fifth or a sixth Sekirei (Such as Kazehana) because I could, however it'll never go beyond 7 for sure. It's just too many to write in at that point. Just saying that there are at least 4 for sure, 3 of which you already know and they're not the same ones that Minato had in the manga.

Also I have had some people mention that my story is too dark to be 'romance' and 'adventure'. The issue I have is that Fan Fiction only lets me choose 2 genres. If I could choose more there would definitely be stuff like drama and tragedy. The issue is I had to choose 2 genres when I could have easily chosen 6 (Tragedy, Humor, Drama and maybe Angst all come to mind as possible genres). I simply choose the two I felt would have the most prominent themes in my story 'overall'. Now it only seems like drama and tragedy and angst play a big role, but that's just because we've just come out of 2 dark chapters. Remember before that we just had like 4 chapters of happiness and joking around and with the exception of the prologue I wouldn't really label any chapter prior to that as 'dark and tragic' either. I'd label them more as balanced as the good and bad were about equal. There will be a little bit more sorrow in this chapter as Naruto finally lets his emotions run free but most of it would fit the 'adventure' category, with some humor thrown in, if I had to choose one of the genres available.

And finally, thank you everyone that stuck around for your support. It actually means a lot to me.

**Chapter 12: Planning**

Naruto didn't get much sleep that night despite being more exhausted than he could ever remember being. There had been too many conflicting emotions rampaging through his body and negative thoughts weighing down on his mind to get any real sleep. He had obtained only three hours of rest before he was up again.

He had left two clones behind with Akitsu and Yume. This was so that the former wouldn't be left alone and he could keep an eye on the latter. He definitely wanted to know when Yume woke up so he could be there. The second clone would dispel if Yume started to show signs of waking.

Minato and his Sekirei Kaho had moved into the room next to his. Naruto didn't know what to feel about that. Minato had helped him out on more than one occasion, and he was extremely thankful of that. However he was also nothing more than just a regular guy caught up in something much bigger than he was. Naruto had gotten some background checks on him when he had learned that he was Takami's son. Thankfully while he was related to the woman by blood, that was about the only thing the two shared.

Naruto didn't want to have to do anything extreme to Minato after everything the teen had done for him.

What did bother Naruto though was the reason for the two of them moving into Izumo Inn. It was obvious they followed him there and it was obvious that they did it because of Musubi, whose been replaced with Yume. That was going to be a complicated situation he didn't want to deal with right now.

Regardless the thing that bothered him the most was his broken promise to Minato. He had promised to save Kusano and he had failed. He was going to rectify this mistake no matter the cost.

Well, no matter the cost to Mikogami Hayato.

This brought Naruto to where he was now: Charlie Point. Charlie Point was a warehouse Naruto had purchased in the southern section of Shinto Teito. He had used one of his Yakuza contacts to purchase it for him under an assumed name. He hadn't wanted anyone tracing it back to him. The warehouse wasn't anything special. It had a rather nondescript external appearance that blended into the surroundings. There was absolutely nothing to differentiate it from any other warehouse around it. Within there were a few empty crates and shipping containers and that was about it. The only special part about it was the entrance. While there were 'supposedly' two entrances, a large sliding door to get the containers in and out and a standard doorway, in actuality only the standard door could be used.

The large sliding door had been welded shut on the inside. In addition to that a thick earthen wall had been raised to block the entrance. Even if someone managed to get it open their progress would be impeded by three feet of solid, chakra enhanced earth.

Even the standard doorway was beyond the norm. There were actually two doors: A bland external one with just a single deadbolt lock and key and an internal one. The internal one had two key locks that were outside of arms reach of each other and had to be turned at the same time while getting your retina and finger prints scanned. It was also keyed to Naruto so unless someone could look like him and duplicate themselves they weren't getting through that door.

Naruto didn't ask how the technology got there, it came with the building. He could only assume that the Yakuza were going to use it for their own purposes and then abandoned it for some reason.

What made this place special however wasn't how difficult entry was but what was hidden beneath it. The underground place had been built like one of the bunkers he had back in the Elemental Nations. While he wasn't exactly the greatest Doton user he was skilled enough to carve out a small complex beneath the warehouse. It was nothing more than simply moving earth and reinforcing the walls. He didn't need to create any schematics of the place as he was going based on the memories he had of similar bunkers he had resided in the past. Thankfully there hadn't been any subterranean utilities to deal with such as water mains and telephone lines.

The entrance was hidden very well, if rather unoriginal. The entrance was under a shipping container. There was another fake entrance in the far back corner of the warehouse but that didn't go anywhere and was rigged to explode should someone force it open.

The bunker wasn't as extravagant as the ones he had back in the Elemental Nations but it served its purpose. There were six rooms: A common room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a training room and a storage room. There was also an emergency exit that could be used should the warehouse above be compromised.

However at the moment it wasn't being used as a resting point, but as a staging ground. The common room had been transformed into a command and control for the operations to come.

The room was sparse at the moment, but it didn't need to have much. Nailed to the southern wall with kunai was a map of the entirety of Shinto Teito. There was a large mat at the base of the staircase leading up to the entrance and a battery powered light fixture hung from the ceiling directly in the center of the room. A large round table was situated in the center of the room and had a map of southern Shinto Teito covering it.

It was this map that Naruto was hunched over. He was in his Hokage outfit as he analyzed the map. This wasn't the time to be his usual self. There was work to be done.

Standing silently around the table waiting for his orders were twelve shadow clones.

Naruto had promised that he would save Kusano, and he was going to do just that, even if he had to carve a bloody path through Shinto Teito to do it. From the two encounters he had with Mikogami he knew that Kusano was already winged. That meant Kusano was bound to Mikogami. That wouldn't stop him though. He had defied reality itself when he had created the seal to take down Madara. He was more than capable of figuring out how to transfer a bond from one person to another.

However before he could act he needed information. No more running in half-cocked.

"ANBU Squad." Four clones straight as Naruto addressed them. They were all dressed in standard ANBU garb: A grey ANBU vest over a black sleeveless shirt with a turtleneck, a pair of grey armguards over black gloves bicep high gloves, black pants, black sandals, and a white porcelain face mask. Three of the masks were blank but the leader of the group had his shaped like a fox. Naruto jabbed his finger at a large city block that had a red circle around it. "According to the Yakuza, Mikogami is said to be living in a large mansion here. It's encircled by a low wall but that shouldn't be any issue for you. You are to infiltrate and get any information regarding Mikogami, his Sekirei, family, the source of his financial well-being and any other information you may find pertinent. You know the drill, keep hidden and stay out of trouble. I don't want any corpses to appear until I'm ready. No need to put the bastard more on guard than he already is. Return here every twenty-four hours. If there are new orders or amendments to the old ones you'll get them then."

The four clones pressed a fist to their heart and bowed. A moment later they disappeared through the emergency exit.

Naruto snapped his fingers and two of his clones appeared at his side. These two were dressed like you every day resident of Shinto Teito. One of them was using his patent **Oiroke no Jutsu** "You two will go by the names Arthain Namikaze and Sasha Namikaze. You'll be dubbed the Namikaze Squad." Naruto said as he pointed to a large apartment complex near Mikogami's mansion. "You two will act as a married couple. You've just moved into the neighbourhood and you've rented out an apartment here." Naruto emphasised his point by thumping the place on the map a second time. "Your task is to watch the comings and goings of everyone in the mansion. I want a schedule within the week of those with regular hours and those without, the times they work and names of those that live in the mansion. If there are any other interesting arrivals or departures, let command and control know about it immediately. The ANBU squad will take care of the rest. Take the suitcase and duffle bag by the exit, there will be more orders, along with suggested personalities, in there with everything you need to get settled in." The two clones saluted Naruto and left after gathering their supplies.

Naruto pointed to three of his clones that were standing a little off to the side. "You men will be my distraction. Do you remember the three Yakuza men that threatened us the first time we approach the group in the east?"

The three clones shared looks and nodded their heads. Of course they would remembered, they were clones of him after all. Naruto had been insulted by some Yakuza tough guys but he had brushed off their insults pretty easily, those guys were the same no matter where you went. However the way those three had leered at Hanabi afterwards had pissed Naruto off. He almost started a war right there over it.

"I want you to transform into those three."

The clones used the **Henge no Jutsu** to change themselves into the Yakuza men that Naruto had almost torn to pieces a few months ago.

The first of the three clones had transformed himself into a large heavy set man. He had long black hair and black eyes. His nose was crooked as if it had been broken in a fight and hadn't healed properly. He stood six feet, five inches tall and weighed almost three hundred pounds.

The second man was a much smaller, wiry individual. He had short dyed blond hair and green eyes. He stood five feet, six inches and weighed almost hundred twenty pounds.

The last individual was the defacto 'leader' of the three. Standing at a respectable six feet in height he weighed two-hundred pounds, and all of it was muscle. He had short blue hair so dark it was almost black and black eyes. A large dragon tattoo wound its way down his right arm.

All three wore the same outfit that consisted of black ninja sandals, dark pants with a dark shirt, although the wiry man had decided to forgo the shirt entirely.

The three were only grunts but they wouldn't need to be high up in the chain. The three they were impersonating were essentially leg breakers and tough men. Bullies that existed for the sole purpose of harassing and making lives miserable for those that got on the wrong side of the Yakuza.

The world would be a better place without them.

"Once the Namikaze squad has created the schedule you three will be up to bat. Your task will be to 'deal' with two of Mikogami's full time female employees. Nothing too extreme but make sure they can never work at Mikogami's mansion again." The three Yakuza bruisers rubbed their hands together and grinned maliciously. Naruto sighed, sometimes his clones got too into their roles. Still it didn't matter to him as long as the job got done right. Mikogami, and those associated with him, were all targets. "In the mean time I want you to be seen around that part of town. The Yakuza you're impersonating have rivals here in the south. If you can rough up some of their men and cause a disturbance between the two rival Yakuza gangs, great. A war between two Yakuza factions would create a lot of noise and distract the authorities from our operations."

One of his Yakuza clones picked up a bat and grinned at Naruto, "Right-o Boss Man! This'll be fun!"

Naruto stared at his clone evenly for a moment, "Go."

The three shared grins between each other and head up the stairs and out the main entrance.

Naruto turned to another pair of clones. "I want you two to change into females."

The two clones nodded and went through a few hand signs. With a poof of smoke the two were transformed using a modified version of his **Oiroke no Jutsu** where they actually had clothing on. The two flipped through some more hand signs and with the use of a **Henge no Jutsu** changed their appearance into something familiar. It almost brought a tear to Naruto's eye.

As Naruto eyed the clones he had to admit they made good choices. The first had short pink hair and green eyes. She wore a sleeveless red shirt with a pink skirt, black stockings and red heels. She looked like Sakura and more than likely that clone was going to adopt the same personality. It was very easy to mimic people you had known most of your life.

The second clone had also mimicked someone Naruto had known quite well. The blue-eyed blonde haired clone was a perfect imitation of Ino. She wore a high sleeveless purple dress that went down to her knees with a small slit on the left side. Purple heels and a small ring on her middle finger finished the ensemble.

"Good choices." Naruto approved, "You two are Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. You will get a job working for Mikogami Hayato. With a mansion that large he's bound to need a maid or twelve. There are going to be several… vacancies appearing in his work force soon as you are no doubt aware. Apply for work before the openings appear. If you apply afterwards it'll appear more suspicious. I have bought some fake identities for you from the Black Market. I made sure these are originals and not just an impersonation of someone else. Before you leave today to apply for a job working there we'll adjust the picture to match your looks. I want you in, fast. There won't be any other applications; I can assure you of that." He would make sure that the ANBU intercepted anyone else going for an interview. "This bunker will be where you live until you get accepted as a live-in at Mikogami's mansion. You're to stay in that form and act the part at all times. I want you two ready to meld seamlessly with your new work environment."

"Our task?"

"You're going to prep the mansion for the assault. ANBU squad will deal with the personnel; your role will be to deal with the structure itself. I'll need a room prepared for holding and one for interrogation. Other areas such as the security rooms will need to be rigged to explode the moment the assault begins. Your job will be to ensure that the seals are ready and in place before the assault begins."

"How will we know if we've been accepted for the job?"

Naruto tossed two cell-phones across the table. "I haven't sold all of them to the Yakuza yet, I kept a few spares just in case." Ino and Sakura each picked up a phone. "When you submit a resume you'll put your phone number as the sole method of contact, aside from face to face."

Naruto turned to the final clone. "You can probably already guess what your role is going to be."

The final clone nodded. "Yes, Shikamaru always said someone had to act as the central point of organization."

"Correct." Naruto replied, "All the information the other clones gather will be funneled through you to me. Likewise since I will be busy up north holding down the fort there I will be passing all new orders through you to them if I am unable to be here in person.

"So I should get comfortable then."

"Yes, unfortunately you're probably going to be confined to this bunker for the duration of the operation."

The clone shrugged and folded his arms across his chest, "Can't be help. The moment the general hits the front lines he stops being a general."

"Exactly, now I need to head back to Izumo Inn. With luck I can get there before Akitsu or Yume wake up." The original Naruto said.

"Have fun boss!" The clone said as he waved farewell to Naruto.

Naruto waved back and headed up the stairs and out the front entrance. The plans were set in motion and the wheels were beginning to spin. Hayato Mikogami would rue the day he stood against Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze.

**x~X~x**

It was mid-morning when Naruto made it back to Izumo Inn. It hadn't taken him very long to get back although he had been forced to take a few detours along the way. He wanted to keep his operations in the south a secret from everyone so that meant he had to take some extra precautions to avoid being seen.

He avoided the main streets like the plague, there was no telling who was working for whom and the street cameras were easily hacked by anyone with enough money. He also kept his senses stretched out as he felt for any large chakra sources in the vicinity. He had been forced into cover a couple times to avoid two different pairs of Sekirei and Ashikabi. Once he had been forced to take a complete round-about route to avoid a pair that was lounging on the roof of an apartment building admiring the sunrise.

He had felt a twinge of envy when he saw that. It felt like forever since he had been able to enjoy a good sunrise or sunset with someone he cared for.

However he made good time and had managed to return to Izumo Inn before Yume had awoken. Wall walking had helped because it allowed him to avoid most of the clutter in the alleyways when he was forced off the rooftops.

When he entered Izumo Inn the scent of breakfast wafted through the room. Miya was already awake and cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Naruto was hardly surprised that she was up already. She was extremely strong willed and she wouldn't let something like a little exhaustion prevent her from doing her duties. She loved the Inn too much for that.

"Good morning Miya." Naruto called as he walked through the main room towards the stairs leading up. There wasn't any point in trying to hide his presence. He was certain that Miya had been aware of his arrival before he had walked through the door.

He wouldn't have been surprised if she had been aware of when he left as well.

"Good morning Naruto-san, did you have a nice walk?" Miya called out from the kitchen. Naruto could hear the sound of utensils rapidly beating against the inside of a porcelain bowl.

"Yes, it definitely helped clear my mind." _And my heart,_ Naruto thought but didn't voice that bit. Inaction never sat well with him and now that he had a firm goal to get him back on track to fulfill his promise he was feeling much better.

"That's good; I've just started on breakfast so it will be awhile. Please make sure you're washed up, I can smell you from in here. A bath has already been drawn with warm water in it." Miya commented in from within the kitchen.

Naruto frowned and sniffed himself. He didn't think he smelt 'that' badly but then women always seemed to have a keener sense of smell than men. He idly wondered how Miya would know that he would need a bath. After a moment Naruto just shrugged and chalked it up to women's intuition. Miya seemed to be far more aware of things than she really had any right to be and her dislike of technology didn't seem to affect her.

"Thanks Miya." Naruto replied as he headed upstairs.

Naruto could sense that the rest of the residents of the Inn were asleep. However with Akitsu he wasn't entirely sure. He was basing his analysis off how motionless the people felt. With the exception of Miya and himself there was no sense of movement in anything he felt. Akitsu however was still even when she was wide awake and fully alert.

It also appeared that Kaho was just as clingy as Musubi if what Naruto sensed was anything to go by. He could barely sense Minato due to Kaho's close proximity, she was probably on top of him. Naruto stopped at his door and focused on Kaho and Minato. The two of them really WERE in very close proximity, almost close enough for-

And there was Miya walking past him as she headed to their door. She held a finger to her mouth as she passed Naruto. The blonde shinobi grinned and quietly entered his room. No need to spoil Miya's fun. One of these days he would find out just 'how' she seemed to know everything that was going on in her Inn.

The room was just the way he had left it. Nothing had been moved or was out of place. Yume was still on her back under the covers of her futon. Akitsu however was wide awake.

She also appeared to be hugging his clone like he was a plushie doll.

"Good morning Akitsu." Naruto said quietly.

Akitsu blinked at Naruto for a moment before she squeezed her arms together. There was a poof sound as Naruto's clone exploded into a puff of smoke. "Morning Naruto-sama." Akitsu greeted him in return.

"I see my clone explained some things to you." Naruto stated. The memories that Naruto gained indicated that the clone had mentioned to Akitsu what he was and that the original was out for a walk and would be back soon. Akitsu apparently was very perceptive, or maybe it was because of the bond, because she seemed to know almost instantly that the clone wasn't the real Naruto. The clone almost got a chest full of icicles before he was able to explain things.

A second set of memories hit him confirming what the first set had shown. The second clone he had left behind to watch Yume had just dispelled itself.

In response to Naruto Akitsu just tilted her head and looked at him curiously, "Ah, I guess my clone never mentioned it. Whenever they dispel like that I gain every memory, every feeling, every emotion they felt while they were active."

"Ah, alright." Akitsu said as she accepted him what he said. She didn't appear to doubt him for an instant. All of a sudden a small smile and a light blush marred Akitsu's otherwise expressionless face. It was gone almost as quickly but for some reason Naruto suddenly feared retribution from Miya.

"How long have you been awake?" Naruto asked as he sat done beside Yume's futon.

Before Akitsu could respond there was a loud scream from the neighbouring room. A second scream followed the first; this one had a deeper tone to it, which was probably Kaho. It appeared that Miya was making her formal 'introduction'.

Akitsu and Naruto stared at the wall separating the two rooms. A small sweat drop rolled down the back of Akitsu's head while Naruto just chuckled lightly to himself.

"It seems Miya is having some fun again." Naruto said with a grin still stretched across his face. It was oddly enjoyable thought since he wasn't on the receiving end of it for a change.

"Miya?" A tired voice asked.

Naruto's head whipped around in an instant. Yume was beginning to stir. The Sekirei lethargically brought a hand up to her eyes and rubbed them gently. Naruto reached under the futon and gripped her free hand in one of his own. He used the other to gently help her up into a sitting position. The futon cover slid down exposing her bare chest and stomach. The large No. 08 crest was still visible on her stomach.

"Yume, how are you feeling?" Naruto asked softly. He had no doubt that this was her.

Yume opened her eyes and looked over at Naruto. Musubi's eyes were gone; they were replaced with Yume's including the yin-yang symbol that replaced each iris. "Naruto-kun?" Yume asked in confusion. Her mind was still waking up and hadn't processed what that actually meant.

"I'm here Yume." Naruto said gently as he gently rubbed her back. He had no idea what was going on inside her head right now but he knew her feelings were a turbulent mess. It almost felt like a combination of Musubi's and her.

Yume stared at Naruto for a long moment before her eyes widened in shock, "No! Musubi-chan!" She held her hand up to her chest and closed her eyes. A couple moments later she slumped and tears began to leak from her eyes. That was all the confirmation that Naruto needed. He had been almost one hundred percent certain that Musubi was gone but only Yume could confirm it for sure.

Naruto slide back across the floor and bowed his head to the floor beside Yume. His eyes watered and his voice was thick as he spoke, "I'm so sorry." Yume looked over at him in surprise. "It's all my fault."

Despite her own sorrow she reached out and touched the side of Naruto's face, "No, don't be. Please Naruto-kun, raise your head. It's not your fault."

The door to the room slide open a little.

"But it is. It is my fault." Naruto said, he kept his head bowed to Yume. "Musubi is gone because of me. I was the one that ordered Kurama to sever and transfer her bond. I was the one that let Kurama go ahead and intercept the deactivation command. It's my fault that the mental shockwave destroyed Musubi's already fragile core."

Yume grasped Naruto's head between her hands and buried his face in her chest. She lowered her face into his hair and cried into it, "It's not your fault Naruto-kun." She whispered through her sobs. "There was no way you could have known. You were just trying to save Musubi-chan."

Yume had sensed the struggle happening inside Naruto. Just like part of Musubi had been inside Naruto, a part of Naruto had been inside Musubi. With Yume's consciousness being within Musubi's subconscious she had been far more aware of the struggle that took place within her Ashikabi. She had also been aware of the feelings of desperation and desire to protect the ones he cared about.

The door slide quietly shut and soft footsteps made their way down the hall.

"I said I would save you both, I promised!" Naruto shouted into Yume's chest as he clenched his fists so hard that his nails drew blood.

A second pair of arms encircled Naruto's waist as Akitsu embraced him from behind. The silent ice Sekirei said nothing. She simply held Naruto and gave him what support and comfort she could.

"You promised to find a way to make me happy, just like you did with Musubi. Musubi was happy even at the very end. You gave Musubi everything she had ever wanted, and more, in an Ashikabi." Yume lifted Naruto's head from her bosom so that she could look him in the eyes. His eyes were as red and puffy as hers felt. All the emotion that he had held back the night before was beginning to leak out. "It hurts that Musubi is gone but she left the way she would have always wanted to. She died fighting for her Ashikabi with a heart full of love. If there had to be an end, she would have desired no other."

The rational part of Naruto's mind agreed with Yume. Musubi was a battle fanatic. Aside from her Ashikabi and food there was nothing she desired more than to fight. However Naruto wasn't ready to be rational just yet.

Yume knew what Naruto was going through, not only could she feel what he felt but she hurt inside almost as much. The little bird she had sacrificed so much for long ago had lost her wings and fallen. However unlike Naruto she was able to deal with the loss more easily. She had been more in tune with Musubi than Naruto. While she had wished that Musubi had lived a longer life, after she had met Naruto Musubi had lived a good life.

Yume still had over a hundred brothers and sisters left as well.

Naruto had lost far more than Yume. While one may think this would make Naruto more used to the pain of death and loss it was actually the reverse. He was at the breaking point where he had simply suffered too much to keep going any longer. The number of precious people he had left could be counted on a single hand. He had already lost so much that he held on incredibly tight to the few he had left. This made the pain of their departure and loss that much more acute than it would have been otherwise.

And finally while there was still a bond between Naruto and Yume, he could feel the loss of Musubi. While some Ashikabi could shrug off a lost Sekirei like it was nothing, Naruto could not. By virtue of his mindscape the bond he shared with his Sekirei was far deeper and powerful than what most Sekirei and their Ashikabi shared.

Yume brought Naruto's face close and kissed him soundly. Eight brilliant white wings burst from her back and bathed the room in a soft glow. "Naruto-kun, I know that Musubi would not want you to be sad or unhappy. I know she will live on in your heart, as she lives on in mine. She lived her life with an earnest desire to bring happiness and love to all."

"Yume…"

"Shhh." She said as she wrapped her arms around Naruto and pulled him close. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and let it all go. All the pain, all the loss, all the sorrow he had been holding back since the night before. Yume gave Akitsu a sad, pain filled smile as she rested her head on Naruto's shoulder.

Akitsu gave a small smile in return and held Naruto just a little bit tighter.

**x~X~x**

It was four hours later when Yume left the room she shared with her Ashikabi, two since her Ashikabi had fallen asleep. Breakfast had obviously come and gone but no one in the room had any appetite so to speak. Oddly no one had come to disturb them either. Lunch time was fast approaching.

She had put on a set of Musubi's shrine maiden clothing, although she resolved to request a few sets of her old clothing from MBI in the near future. Although she was no longer a part of the S-Guard she still preferred those clothing, they were easier to move in.

Naruto was still sound asleep back in his room having fallen asleep after he had exhausted himself mentally and emotionally. It had taken him awhile to cry himself to sleep. He had a lot of pent up emotions bottled up. From the failure to save Kusano to the loss of Musubi, everything had taken a major toll on his already emotionally unstable state. Yume wished that Hanabi could have been here to stay at his side, she was closer to him than anyone, but that was unfortunately not possible. Instead Akitsu would have to do; the ice Sekirei had been all too happy to stay at his side.

She wanted to stay at his side longer as well but there were more than likely some questions that people would want answers to.

As Yume made her way towards the staircase she could make out a few voices floating up from downstairs. She recognized Miya's voice but there was a second, deeper and more masculine, voice that she was unfamiliar with.

"Good morning No. 01, Miya." Yume said as she reached the base of the staircase.

The conversation in the room ceased as Yume greeted Miya. Yume was now able to identify the second voice she had heard from upstairs. There was a scruffy looking man with messy black hair and lecherous dark eyes lounging at the end of the table. It appeared as if he knew Miya from the laid back attitude and familiarity he exhibited.

Aside from Miya, who was giving her a serious look, he was the only other person in the room. There were a couple of empty bowls sitting on the table in front of the man.

Seo grinned at Yume as he eyed her up and down, "Yo, it's good to see you again little lad-." Seo stopped and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her more closely, "You're not Musubi."

"No, I am not." Yume confirmed as she moved to sit at the table, away from Seo.

"What the hell is going on here?" Seo demanded, "That's Musubi's body, I know it is, I memorized all her measurements perfectly the last time-." He was cut off as a large stone smacked him in the head.

"Fufufu, I'm sorry Seo-san, my hands slipped." Miya said as retrieved the blood-stained stone. Despite her words she didn't look or sound very sincere in her apology.

"I'm No. 08, Yume, The Sekirei of Fate and former head of the S-Plan Guard." Yume introduced herself.

Seo sighed and leaned back on his hand. He brought his other one up to rub his forehead, "Damnit things just got a lot more complicated." Seo picked up a toothpick and began to clean his teeth. It calmed him a little.

"So that really is you then Yume-san?" A new voice came from the side.

Homura entered the living room. He was dressed in his usually white button up dress shirt and dark dress pants. Aside from a few bandages that could be seen wrapped around the worst of his injuries he looked fine. Most of his injuries from the night before had been superficial, aside from the self-immolation ones.

"No. 06, Homura." Yume greeted, "Yes, I am Yume. Musubi is…" Yume trailed off as she tried to find the best way of explaining it, "Musubi has lost her wings."

"Are there any chances of her regaining them?" Yume shook her head negatively. Homura nodded sadly and leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes and rubbed his chest, "I'm sorry. If I had fought harder maybe we could have beaten Mutsu before her Norito ran out."

That should satisfy Takami. Yume was back, Musubi was gone. No one could mistake the woman sitting there at the table for Musubi. There was a grace and maturity that the younger Sekirei couldn't even hope to match.

And then there were the eyes. Yume was the only Sekirei that had 'unique' eyes.

"It's not your fault Homura." Yume replied as she gave Homura a gentle smile, "You did all you could, had you done more you would not have survived, and redoubled efforts still may not have been enough to save Musubi in the end. At least you're still alive. You still have a chance to find love and gain wings of your own."

Homura grimaced as he stared down at his defective body. He would never find an Ashikabi, those that wielded the flame were cursed by the gods and his body was proof of that. He scratched his chest again.

"I… I'm back." Minato's voice floated in from outside.

Miya quickly made her way to the front door and opened it. "Ara, welcome back!" She greeted the two. She quickly took in Minato's haggard appearance and apparent struggle with the ten kilogram bags of rice. She put her hands together in front of her mouth, "I'm sorry. It was too heavy, right?" Miya apologized. This time it was a real apology.

"Haha, ah, not really." They could hear Minato say as he tried to brush away Miya's concerns.

"Has Musubi woken up yet?" Another voice floated in from outside, this one was female. Yume smiled as she recognized it. She hadn't heard that voice in years but she still remembered her as a child.

She was happy the other bird she had saved had found her own set of wings but she wasn't looking forward to breaking the bad news about her sister.

Miya no longer had a care free expression on her face as she regarded the two. "Why don't you come on in?" She said gently as she moved out from the doorway.

Almost before Miya vacated the doorway Kaho came rushing through with three large bags of rice. Her eyes darted quickly around the room. Her face lit up as they came to rest on Yume. "Musubi!" Kaho shouted as she started to run towards her friend. She tossed her load to the side. She was so preoccupied with getting to Musubi she didn't even notice the shout of pain as the packages beaned Seo in the face.

Kaho's charge across the room stopped abruptly though when Yume gave her a sad smile, "Musubi?" Kaho searched Yume's face for any sign of her old friend. Her eyes suddenly widened in realization, "Yume-sama!"

"It's good to see you're doing well Kaho-chan."

Seo glared at Kaho, "What the fuc-." A rock smacked him in the head. He glanced over at Miya as she demurely retrieved her rock. He would have glared at Miya but he didn't want to get smacked a third time.

During this chaos Minato entered the Inn at a much more sedate pace than his Sekirei. Unlike Kaho he couldn't move at warp speed while carrying five times his body weight.

"Yo!" A bloody and bruised Seo greeted him as Minato walked through the front door. The young man tripped over his feet and face faulted into the floor.

"Seo?! What the fuck are you doing here?" Minato shouted. A rock bounced off Minato's head, although this one was significantly smaller than the one Seo had been smacked with.

"No swearing in Izumo Inn." Miya said as she pocketed the small rock she had thrown at Minato. Seo was beginning to wonder just where the heck Miya kept all of her projectiles.

Kaho was oblivious to her Ashikabi's chastisement as her eyes memorized Yume's features, "What happened to Musubi?" Kaho asked nervously, although she knew the answer without even asking the question.

"She fought Mutsu to the very end. She never gave an inch and never gave up. It was… not enough." Yume responded with a sad shake of her head. Musubi's death was particularly painful because unlike other Sekirei she couldn't be brought back.

Kaho inhaled sharply. She closed her eyes and let out a long shuddering sigh, "At least she went down fighting." Kaho said. Her friend was gone, it hurt, she had hoped that maybe, just maybe it was temporary and she would come back.

But it was not to be. At least she had gone out honorably.

**x~X~x**

"Seo?! What the fuck are you doing here?"

Naruto started out of his sleep and abruptly sat up, ready for combat, as the shouting downstairs broke through his slumber. As a shinobi he had learned never to sleep too deep. A shinobi that did never woke up. Back in the Elemental Nations all it would take to wake an entire complex of battle hardened shinobi was a single shout, sometimes even an out of place smell was enough of a trigger.

He felt movement beside him as Akitsu sat up as well. She must have nestled in beside him after he had fallen asleep. He quickly glanced around the room and noticed that Yume was out. He stretched his senses and found her downstairs with some other individuals. He could sense Miya, Homura, Minato and his Sekirei and one other that he couldn't quite place a finger on. He felt as if he should remember it but couldn't.

There must be some sort of party going on downstairs and that's what the shouting was all about. Naruto wasn't in the mood for one at the moment though. However since there wasn't any clear or present danger he let himself relax.

He stretched out his arms as he yawned tiredly. Even if he could wake up in a hurry it didn't mean that he liked to do so. Whenever he woke up like that and found it was a false alarm his awareness always bled away into his usual morning sleepiness. Naruto would have gone back to sleep if it wasn't already noon.

He could smell the food wafting up from the kitchen but despite his hunger he wasn't in any mood to eat. He had gotten a bite to eat early in the morning when he had headed to Charlie Point. That will have to be enough to get him through to dinner.

There was something else he needed to do. Another promise he had made that he was not going to break.

"Akitsu." Naruto said as he smiled at the Sekirei. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I think it's time I started to work on my promise to you."

Akitsu's eyes widened slightly and her slips parted. A small glimmer of hope shimmered in those dark eyes of hers. To Naruto who was beginning to understand Akitsu better that was akin to Musubi jumping for joy and shouting about love at the top of her lungs.

It was odd how Naruto seemed to have obtained Sekirei of two completely different extremes.

Two clouds of smoke erupted at the foot of the bed and two of his clones appeared. Naruto quickly bit his thumb and wiped some blood on the seal on his shoulder. He manipulated the chakra so that only his desired item came forth. There was another, smaller, puff of smoke two scrolls, one small and one large, appeared from thin air.

Naruto tossed a scroll to each of his clones. Naruto pointed to the clone with the large scroll, "This should have been done a while ago but there was never any time. I want you to make a replacement for the chakra transfer seal we used on Yashima. Allow for the room and ability to create on the fly modifications and adaptations."

The chakra transfer seal he had used on Yashima was something he had made years ago. Between the time he had made that seal array and the time he had trapped Madara he had made some significant leaps in Fuinjutsu. Creating a functional seal that allowed for dynamic modification and change on the fly had been impossible for him before but it was well within his capabilities now.

"Yes boss!" The clone said as he went to the desk and unfurled the scroll across it. It was a blank scroll but it would soon hold a chakra transfer technique. Naruto didn't know if he would need it to transfer Kusano's bond but it couldn't hurt to have it just in case.

Naruto turned to the second clone, "You're going to be taking notes. I'm going to be analyzing Akitsu's Sekirei Core, Seal and chakra. I won't be able to write my findings down so that's your task in case I miss something."

He and his clones had something similar to the Yamanaka techniques. They could only use it with each other, due to the unique connection that all Shadow Clones shared, but it still had its uses for research. In reality it was simply an improvement over the standard memory transfer technique that occurs when the Shadow Clone dies. Instead of waiting until death information could be sent while the clone and the original were alive. It also allowed for two way communication.

There were quite a few downsides to it with one of the major ones being its requirement of physical contact.

"And as for you." Naruto said as he turned to look up into the corner of the room. He stared directly into the small camera that was furiously recording his every movement. "No peeping allowed." Naruto said as he summoned a kunai and flung it at the camera.

A cry of disappointment echoed from a couple rooms down.

"And me Naruto-sama?" Akitsu asked as she stared up at her Ashikabi.

Naruto grinned at her as he got up out of the futon. "Could I get you to lie down on top of the futon?" Naruto said as he straightened the bedding out. As Akitsu moved to lie down Naruto spoke up again, "Aheh, I… It's not too much to ask for you to remove your dress is it? Direct skin contact-." He didn't even get to finish what he was going to say before Akitsu had taken her clothes off and left them folded neatly beside the bed.

Naruto took a moment to admire Akitsu fully. He still marveled at how flawless the Sekirei appeared to be, especially his own. As his eyes trailed down her body a drop of sweat rolled down the back of his head.

"You didn't need to remove you panties." Naruto pointed out as he noticed the lack of a certain piece of clothing.

"Ah, I forgot." Akitsu said. Naruto glanced around the room and noticed a pair of lace panties bunched up on the floor against the wall. Naruto looked down at Akitsu's naked body for a few long moments before looking her in the eye.

"You forgot?" Naruto asked as he raised his eyebrow. A small blush painted her face but she said nothing. "I suppose it doesn't matter. I can't say I don't enjoy the view."

Now that all the preparations were completed it was time to get started. "It may take a couple sessions or tries to get this right but I'll keep at it until I fix your seal Akitsu."

"I believe in you Naruto-sama." Akitsu said softly.

Naruto smiled down at his Sekirei again as he placed a hand gently between her breasts right over her Sekirei core. Hanabi was the only Sekirei that had their core in an odd place, and that was due to the nature of the transfer. He placed three fingers on Akitsu's forehead.

As he did so he felt his second clone position himself behind Naruto. As Naruto's clone placed his hand on the back of Naruto's head Naruto began to channel some chakra into the seal and began to analyze it.

The amount of chakra he was using was, at least for him, incredibly small. He didn't push the chakra into the seal so much as coat it with his own. He stretched it out thin and slowly began to let it sink into Akitsu's skin.

As Naruto suspected the markings on Akitsu's forehead were focal points. The seal itself was actually far larger and, to Naruto's surprise, three dimensional. Every seal Naruto had ever dealt with had been two dimensional. Even his crowning achievement, the cause-effect bending seal, was two-dimensional. It had a three dimensional effect but the seal grid itself was on two dimensions.

This was incredible. Whoever created it was a genius, perhaps even better than he was.

Completely insane, perhaps, but a complete genius.

The reason Naruto felt the person was insane was due to what the seal actually did. Naruto put more chakra into the sheet and changed its shape to more amorphous, blob shape. He kept the chakra very fine and noted various things as the chakra probe worked its way through Akitsu's head. Because of how fine and in tune he was with his own chakra he was able to identify when it encountered resistance. There was always some resistance as his chakra encountered the chakra from Akitsu's core but he could feel the thin strands of chakra that powered the seal because of the difference in chakra concentration and resistance.

It was through this that he realized that the seal wound its way through Akitsu's brain. Virtually every part of the brain was connected with the seal in some way shape or form although the parts of the brain that were linked with interpretation of emotion seemed to be the most tightly coupled part.

It was ingenious that the seal could do so much with so little chakra in such a tightly confined space. Naruto couldn't even begin to guess at how difficult it would have been to create something like this. If everything wasn't 'just' right the person would suffer catastrophic brain damage.

It would take centuries, if not millennia, to get something like this right without having to sacrifice thousands in horrific experiments. Even then some would have to be sacrificed to get it right because from what Naruto could determine there was absolutely no way someone could account for all the different variables and variations in people's minds. There had to be some sort of baseline to work from, a baseline that would require human volunteers.

It was so complex that Naruto hoped Akitsu's problem was simple otherwise it may take him years to fix her.

The seal extended beyond just Akitsu's head however as Naruto noticed several lines of chakra running down the cerebral cortex. He eased his chakra from her mind and slowly made his way down the spinal column following the lines.

When he reached the nap of the neck he paused. This is where the wings appeared from the back of a Sekirei and this is where the crest 'should' be. And this is where it was. There was another seal matrix, although Naruto could tell it was slightly different from the one on her forehead. It had the same focal points but the underlying sealing array was vastly different.

Naruto also noticed that the primary focal point in the center, the yin-yang symbol, acted as a point of contact. Naruto could feel a sort of pull or attraction from the point as it absorbed some of his chakra. This must be how the deactivation commands were received. All it would take would be the right level of chakra manipulated in the right way and the sealing array would interpret it as well…

Naruto's eyes widened. This could be used for more than just simple deactivation. Naruto hadn't the time to fully understand the all the nuances of the sealing array he was analyzing, that could take months, but this could theoretically allow for much more than simple deactivation. Depending on how the sealing array was designed ANY command could be received and forcefully obeyed.

This meant it could potentially be used to forcefully alter the bond, or even remove it entirely, between Ashikabi and Sekirei. He would definitely need to spend more time analyzing this seal. It could be a way to free Kusano and get her back. It wouldn't be enough by itself, he would need to devise a means preventing someone else from utilizing that technique on her in the future, but it was a step in the right direction.

Naruto noticed a second point of interest here. The focal points at the skin were currently deactivated. Well not so much deactivated as in there was no chakra flowing through them. He only noticed the sealing array was there because unlike the rest of Akitsu it was actually a 'void'. It was an area where no chakra flowed or could penetrate. Apparently the sealing array was also designed to reject everything but the chakra fed to it through a specific means, the focal point on the nape of the neck being the sole exception.

The reason there was no chakra running through them was due to a smaller two-dimensional sealing array blocking the access points to the nape of the neck. It was actually redirecting the chakra along an alternate pathway.

And that's what the seal on the forehead was for! It was there to utilize and store the excess chakra that would normally be used to wing a Sekirei. If Naruto's past experience was anything to go by then the chakra he fed into the Sekirei through the mouth had to go somewhere. Normally it was fed directly to the seal on their back but in Akitsu's case it was redirected when it got there back to her forehead.

At least that's what he thought anyways, well there was one way to test it for sure.

Not even fully aware of his movements Naruto bent over and kissed Akitsu. The brown haired Sekirei closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss.

No, Naruto realized his hypothesis was incorrect. He could feel his chakra being absorbed by the sealing array in Akitsu's mouth like he thought but instead of being sent to the nape of the next it was sent through an auxiliary sealing grid he hadn't noticed before. This one was imbedded in the back of her mouth. Instead of travelling to the nape of the neck it actually curled around into the brain. It touched on several of her emotional areas. Naruto actually felt a minor genjutsu trigger and alter the interpretation of emotions in her mind before the chakra finally settling in the seal on her forehead.

Where most of the chakra was then forcefully expelled.

Naruto deepened the kiss. His tongue entered Akitsu's mouth and began to play with her own. The ice Sekirei moaned and battled back furiously.

This time Naruto did more than just let the sealing array absorb the chakra in his saliva. He breathed more chakra, pure chakra, into her mouth. The sealing array in her mouth almost visibly glowed as it struggled to absorb everything that Naruto was putting in. Naruto wanted to know what the limit of this new grid was. It was obvious based on its construct that it was different than the rest of the array within Akitsu. That meant there had been some points of disconnect and reconnect that had been shifted and altered.

As Naruto did this he came to a realization. There was apparently a limit on how much chakra could be absorbed orally. As he watched his chakra flow through the routes in Akitsu's mind he knew that oral injection of chakra would never be enough to figure it out. He could modify the sealing array in her mouth to absorb more chakra, that seal he was familiar with and it wasn't as complex as some of the other sections, the actual pathways in the mind were too delicate to take any more than they already were. The limiter was actually there for the Sekirei's safety.

He would need Hanabi to get a better idea of what was going on.

He could manipulate chakra directly into the seal at the nape of her neck but unless he got rid of the block it wouldn't do any good. The seal would be active but it wouldn't do anything. The seal would prevent any sort of bond from forming between the two. It would be an incomplete activation, which was possibly even worse than none at all. It all came down to that block at the nape of her neck. He needed to remove it somehow or Akitsu would never get winged. In addition the redirect in her mouth needed to be removed entirely.

Naruto used the hand he had laid upon Akitsu's chest to help guide his chakra through the rest of her body. He needed to keep a hand on her forehead to analyze the sealing array there, and to be aware of any issues should they arise. He wanted to check out how pervasive the sealing array was throughout the rest of her body.

The sealing array continued down the length of her spine. The only branch on the way down was a little ways down from the winged seal on her back where the sealing array connected up with the Sekirei core. This was more than likely to power the entire array.

As he traced the sealing array further down it stopped at Akitsu's hips and another large sealing array could be found. This one was almost as complex, if not more, than the one in Akitsu's mind.

Naruto was an expert on human anatomy; he had to be so that he knew where best to stab someone, so he knew what this sealing array was affecting.

The womb.

It would take him months to reverse engineer the entire grid but he was almost certain that it was there to ensure that any child Akitsu had would be bound in the same manner as the mother was. It was probably there to imprint and build a new sealing array similar to it in whatever child Akitsu had.

Akitsu gasped in pleasure as Naruto inserted a couple fingers into her. It was incredibly warm and damp inside so there wasn't any resistance. He channeled some chakra through his hands and coated his skin with a thin layer. The sealing array here was so complex that the little amount of chakra that Naruto was able to bring down from her head wasn't enough to get a clear picture. He was looking for a secondary pathway for chakra input.

He worked his fingers furiously inside her twisting them this way and that as he poked and prodded everything within reach. There had to be a secondary chakra absorption way, Naruto could feel it instinctually. No one would create a sealing array this complex without some sort of secondary chakra absorption. What would happen if the primary one in the mouth was damage by accident?

And there it was! Naruto noticed it as Akitsu bucked her hips and let out a longer shuddering moan. He didn't even notice as his hand was washed in fluid so busy was he. However at the moment of Akitsu's climax he had seen the absorption array. It was much farther inside her and would require something far longer than his fingers to reach.

Either it would take Hanabi's expert fingers and her ability to extend chakra or his…

Naruto jerked and pulled away from Akitsu. He hadn't realized he had just brought Akitsu to her first orgasm. The ice wielding Sekirei was breathing heavily as she rested on the futon with her eyes closed. Her lips were parted and there was a satisfied smile on her face.

He pulled his fingers from her wet entrance and stared at them for a moment in speculation. They were completely covered in Akitsu's fluids and a small puddle was beginning to form between her legs. The futon was going to need to be washed now and Miya was most definitely going to be asking questions.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed as his mind fully processed just what he had done to Akitsu. He had been so absorbed in analyzing the complex sealing array that he hadn't realized he had brought his Sekirei to a climax.

Naruto felt his clone behind him poof and memories raced back. The clone had written down everything that he had wanted it to, and then some. There were even drawings of various sealing arrays found within Akitsu. The arrays around the womb and mind were not there, being three dimensional the clone didn't have the tools required to draw it, but the seal on the forehead, the one at the nape of the neck, the sealing array used to redirect his chakra and the two absorption arrays had all been drawn out into the scroll.

That was good. Between what he remembered and the arrays in that scroll it would be a good place to start. He wouldn't be able to finish and fix Akitsu until Kurama got better however. When he winged Akitsu he wanted Kurama to be there, and aware of it, so that he can imprint her with his own orb instead of whatever it was that Musubi had been connected to.

Naruto used his dry hand to brush some of his hair from his forehead. "Ahah, sorry about that Akitsu."

Akitsu opened her eyes and smiled at Naruto, it was the first full fledge smile he had ever seen on her face, "Ah, I don't mind Naruto-sama. I liked it."

At least he didn't have to feel guilty with her. Unlike Musubi Akitsu was apparently fully aware of sex and was more than willing to accept his ministrations. "Anyways some good news and some bad news. First off it may be awhile before I can fix you, I need a friend to get better first, however the good news is that you can be fixed."

Akitsu's smile didn't leave her face, if anything it grew a little larger, "Thank you Naruto-sama." She'd be willing to wait however long it took for Naruto to fix her. The knowledge that she could be fixed was like ambrosia to her.

"I've discovered a few things as well. You know how when I kissed you it seemed as if my chakra did nothing?" Akitsu nodded, she had felt that as well, "Well that's because there's a seal in the back of your mouth that redirects my chakra to your forehead. Along the way it forces you to feel badly about the situation and then rejects the chakra I gave you. Whoever designed this seal is a genius and completely evil." Naruto said. It was downright evil what the sealing array was doing to Akitsu, pure evil. However Naruto couldn't help but admire, from a professional point of view, just how amazing of a Fuinjutsu construct it was. It took the art her had mastered and took it to an entirely new dimension. There were entire complex sealing array had Ninjutsu and Genjutsu techniques and elements embedded in various sections. He smiled down at Akitsu, "However what this means is that you're not broken Akitsu and you've done nothing wrong. Someone has deliberately disrupted your ability to be winged. You can still be winged; it's just that the chakra that's supposed to wing you is being redirected at the moment."

"So…" Akitsu started.

Naruto grinned at her as he scratched the back of his head, "So that means all I need to do is either get rid of the redirect or use an alternate route and you're fixed. Both methods are viable. Both come with their own risks however. Getting rid of the redirect could have some unforeseen side effects on you and could cause you harm."

Akitsu sat up and wrapped her arms around his chest, making sure to press her ample chest into his side. "I don't care so long as I can be yours Naruto-sama."

"Well I care." Naruto said as he hugged her back, "Even though you're not my Sekirei yet, I still care about you."

"And the second method? What are those risks Naruto-kun?" Yume asked from her spot beside the desk.

Naruto started for a moment. He hadn't realized Yume had returned. He had been so busy with Akitsu that he had been completely oblivious to his surroundings. He really was getting rusty. Thankfully nothing bad came about as a result. Yume was probably one of the few people he'd trust with what he was doing.

It was probably that trust he had for her that prevented him from sensing her. His battle instincts probably ignored her completely.

"The second method risks my life at the hands of Miya." Naruto said with a grin as he envisioned what Miya would do to him. "Winging occurs when the chakra in an Ashikabi's saliva is absorbed by the mouth and sent to various points in the body, like the nape of the neck, and causes the Sekirei to gain her 'wings'. The chakra that's currently being sent into her mouth is being redirected; however there's a secondary absorption area inside her." Naruto said as he pointed at Akitsu's wet entrance. "Due to its nature it's capable of absorbing far more chakra than the oral method and if I were to channel the maximum amount I can through it I can wing her. Of course then I'd have to run for my life."

Yume smiled at Naruto, "Well, Miya said no illicit activities at Izumo Inn. So why not go somewhere else?"

Naruto mulled that over for a moment before a lecherous grin spread across his face. "Oh Yume, you are awesome. When Kurama is better maybe the three of us can have a… field trip. I know this great hot spring in the western part of Shinto Teito."

The hot springs was actually part of Beta Point and owned by the largest Yakuza group in Japan. Naruto was on very good terms with the Yakuza over there having down several favors for them the first month he was here in the city. They were so powerful even MBI was hesitant to directly face them. It was hard to deal with the shadowy underground in the first place, but one as powerful as them as just as many connections in the government as MBI did.

Yume's smile widened as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "That would be lovely Naruto-kun."

"Ah, yes, I want it." Akitsu said.

Well that's two for three. He should invite Hanabi as well. Sometimes it was better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission but with Hanabi it was usually more painful to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. "Maybe I could invite Hanabi as well if she's feeling better. She could use some time away from that hospital."

Provided Hanabi didn't castrate him for his philandering ways it was going to be a good time, a very good time.

No one noticed the small yellow rubber ducky propped up in the corner of one of the shelves.

Or the gentle smile that graced the face of the one listening in on the opposite end.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Alright, this chapter was difficult to write. I find character building sections the most difficult for me. I excel at info dumps, combat scenes and plotting. Actually plotting is what I excel at the most. The first scene with Naruto at Charlie Point was very easy to write then the next section was difficult. Things didn't get easy until I reached the Akitsu and Naruto part.

I hope my explanation of Sekirei makes sense. To me Fuinjutsu is FAR more flexible and adaptable than the Naruto manga has made it out to be thus far. Fuinjutsu allows you to seal stuff, but if you can seal 'anything…' Well you can technically seal seals, seal other techniques, etc., your options basically become limitless. Fuinjutsu can be used to accomplish anything. I'm taking this theory and running with it to infinity and beyond!

No but seriously I may use the wrong terms and wording at times but I hope the intention is getting across properly. The concept is that there is a massive chakra powered construct embedded within each and every Sekirei and this construct is what basically make Sekirei, Sekirei. Everything from the wings, to the crest, to the bond, to the core, to how Sekirei descendants are still affected by Jinki even after the original Sekirei are dead, to basically every concept introduce in Sekirei is explained. Sekirei in the manga right now are basically a giant black box. We know what goes in, we know what comes out, but we have no clue how anything works 'inside' the Sekirei. I have opened that box and revealed my interpretation of what it looks like on the inside.

I seem to be using Yakuza a lot in this chapter. In a way I guess it could be considered a Dues Ex Machina as they're a convenient tool to get Naruto what he wants easily without effort. There will be limits to it however. They're not going to be an information tool like Matsu for instance. They're not going to suddenly take a major prominent role in my story either. In fact as of right now I have no plans to reference them again after this arc.

And finally I'm in the story! Arthain Namikaze! I get to peep on people! Yay! I'm not going to have a very big role in my story. I'm gonna be like a Tertiary character or something. It's more akin to choosing me as a basis for the way an undercover clone dresses and acts. Again like the Yakuza there currently aren't any plans for me to be involved in this story beyond this arc and even then I have a relatively minor role.


	14. Chapter 13: Threads

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Note: This chapter is rather fragmented. There are a lot of things going on in a lot of different places and it jumps around. It's all chronological though so it's a little not too bad to follow. Just be forewarned.**

******Sakurako **just frickin Ret-conned Musubi's rescue in chapter 144 -_-. It's nice to have a greater explanation as to what went on but the rescue that was shown earlier and what was shown just now in chapter 144, well the only similarity was the fact that Musubi's core got destroyed. Thankfully it doesn't REALLY affect me too much, and some of the explanations help me a little (apparently the ship, the lab and everything else are all still there on the Island).

**Review Responses:**

Just for the record, although I don't put any time stamps on scene changes they're all chronological in order. This chapter starts in the evening the day after the failed Kusano rescue. Despite how many chapter it's been, it's only been 24 hours. I blame there being too much shit going on which is entirely my fault. I've got too many threads going all at once and it's hard to move time along because of it. As a result again only like 20 hours pass between the start of this chapter and the end.

For people that don't read the manga, Miya loves to eavesdrop on people and a rubber ducky with a hidden microphone is one of the ways she does it.

Matsu… there have been some people that wonder about her and well I'll cover her, don't worry.

Someone asked me if I was a programmer, I actually am. I have a bachelor in Computer Science and a degree in Hardware and Networking. I have a very analytical mind.

I'm not done with the Seal matrix; I still have more things to reveal about it. Can't do it all at once though, just wouldn't be realistic.

Naruto has mastered the Kage Bunshin. When someone makes one Kage Bunshin the chakra is split equally between the clone and the original. This is the normal way. However Naruto's command over the technique is so complete that he's capable of changing that ratio. He can make it equal, very easily, but he also has the ability to make the clones with as much, or as little, of his chakra as he desires.

**Chapter 13: Threads**

It was beautiful night in Shinto Teito. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and a warm, soft breeze floated gently through the city. Here in this section of the city it was quiet, the roads were empty and few people walked the streets. It was the perfect night to relax and stare gaze, provided the light pollution wasn't too dense to see anything.

That warm, perfect night was shattered with the sound of crunching bones as a fight broke out in one of the dark alleys.

The sound of breaking cartilage cracked through the air as Koga Itai's head rocked backwards. Blood sprayed from his face as his nose broke under the powerful fist of his attacker. He quickly recovered and brought a hand up to his ruined nose. "You bastards! How dare you!" Koga shouted as he tried to stem the tide of blood.

The large heavy set man just laughed smashed his spike baseball bat into Koga's kneecap. There was a sickening sound as the knee cap shattered and bent inwards at an unnatural angle. Koga screamed in agony and he fell to the ground holding his shattered knee. The pain from his broken nose was all but forgotten.

"You're going to pay for this!" Dale Barnhardt shouted as he tried to knife the large heavy set man.

However the large man's wiry companion intercepted him. With a quick flick of his wrist he snapped Dale's wrist. Dale cried out in pain as his arm was twisted around and he had his own knife rammed back into his chest. The wiry assailant grabbed dale by the back of the head and slammed him face first into the wall of the alleyway.

Dale slumped to the ground in a heap. The blow to the face had knocked him unconscious. He would bleed out before morning unless he got immediate medical attention.

"The boss will hear about this!" Craven the Mad shouted as he dragged the woman behind him. He wanted nothing to do with these two. He had to get his newly acquired merchandise back to the safe house.

"No, he won't." A third voice said as it slipped from the shadows in front of Craven. "The reign of your boss in the south is over. We're moving in now. That means your property." The man pulled out a kunai and enhanced it with some wind chakra. With movement too fast to be seen he severed Craven's arm at the elbow. "Is now our property." He grabbed the young girl and pulled her away from Craven.

Craven screamed in pain as he stumbled back a step and held the bloody stump. "My arm, you fucking bastard cut off my arm!"

"You have worse things to worry about than your arm." The man said as he glared at Craven. Craven glared right back at him. "Like your head." With another quick flick of his kunai, again too fast to be seen, Craven's head was separated from his shoulders.

The girl tried to scream in terror but the man covered her mouth with his free hand before she had the chance. She tried to pull away from the man who now held her but it was no use, his grip was too strong. "Ah ah ah my pretty, I can't have you running away on us. You're worth a lot of money. Virgins sell for a high price these days."

The heavy set man walked over to Koga and kicked him off the ground and into the wall of the alleyway. He leaned down and leered into the man's face, "I guess you could be useful as a messenger. Crawl back to that useless man you call Boss and tell him what you've seen here today! We're moving in and he better move out."

The three Yakuza enforcers left the alley through the back way and carried the terrified girl with them.

**x~X~x**

The apartment was fully furnished now. It was cheap stuff, nothing really needed to last, a month at most. The operation wouldn't last much longer than that, if it even reached that point. There were the basic appliances, couches and chairs, tables, a few plants and pictures. The place had just enough character to it to make it seem like a well lived home, but not so much that it strained the pocket book.

"Well this place isn't too bad." Arthain Namikaze said as he looked around the apartment he shared with his 'wife' Sasha Namikaze. "Well once everything is arranged properly anyways. Could use more books though, especially manga. I love manga."

Arthain was of average height and build standing at five feet, eight inches and weighing 180 pounds. Most of that was muscle, or at least muscle that was simulated through the use of the henge. While he was shorter than the original Naruto he actually weighed more on account of the extra body mass. He wore basic Nika sneakers, black socks, beige cargo pants and a black t-shirt. The entire ensemble was topped off with a wedding band on his ring finger and a silver Bulova watch, clasped with the clock face down, on his right wrist.

"My first question: The place may not be bad but do you see what I am wearing? My second question: Why do I have to put up with this?" Sasha moaned as she looked down at her clothing, or lack thereof.

She wasn't so much wearing clothing as she was netting and belts. She wore bright red boots with manacles around her ankles. The manacles were tied to each other but there was enough slack that it never actually impeded movement so long as she didn't run or jump. Her legs were covered with thigh high stockings and belts criss-crossed her calves. Another pair of belts encircled her thighs. A see-through mesh of the same material as her stockings covered her chest from the waist up to her neck and down her arms to her wrists. There were belts criss-crossed over her arms and chest. The chest wrappings covered just enough to protect her modesty although they did chafe her breasts. She was a solid C and having them compressed due to tight belts was not her idea of 'fun'. There was a collar around her neck with a leash attached to it that hung down to her feet. Normally the entire outfit was topped with a long flowing red cape and a red hood however Sasha had taken them both off and had hung them from the coat hanger at the door.

"I think you look nice in it." Arthain said as he walked into the bedroom.

"My explanation: You are also a pervert." Sasha snapped back. With a sigh she brushed some of her bangs from her face, "My third question: Do we have anything to drink?"

"There's water in the fridge along with some juice."

"My first response: No, I meant something hard."

"Well I have something in my pants that may-."

Sasha clenched her fists. Sometimes she just wanted to hit Arthain in the face, "An added explanation: No, I meant alcohol." She said through gritted teeth.

Arthain poked his head out from the bedroom and grinned at her. He loved making smart ass comments. "Sorry, don't think you'll be able to find any of that. Technically we're on duty 24/7."

Sasha sighed again as she sat down roughly in one of the chairs at the table. Maybe she could sneak some brandy in the next time they did groceries. Naruto didn't need to know and she knew that Arthain didn't particularly care despite his comment. "My fourth question: Did you see the looks I got when we walked down the street?"

Arthain thought back to the reactions they had garnered on their way back from the store. Sasha had definitely gotten quite a few odd looks; he had been too for that matter. Eventually he just shrugged; it didn't bother him too much. "Ah well, no biggie."

"My second response: I felt like I was on display."

Arthain smiled at her and sat in the chair across from her, "Just say you were cosplaying or something. It's a common enough hobby here in Japan anyways."

"My third response: Fine but if you start tugging on this leash in public you will be sleeping on the coach from now on." Sasha warned him sternly.

Arthain waved his hands in front of him, "No worries about that. Cosplaying is one thing, if the police thought I was actually leashing you they'd throw me in jail. Although I would love to see the expression on people's faces if I did that." Just the thought of the ridiculous expressions on their faces was enough to bring a wide grin to his face. The grin disappeared as something occurred to him. His mind went over the various personalities and appearances in the profile Naruto had given him.

She gave him an even stare as a small sweat drop rolled down the back of her head. "My fourth response: Then I would be forced to bail you from jail, while looking like this."

Arthain almost laughed and grinned at her again, he completely brushed aside her comment, "You know, if your portfolio was anything like mine then there should have been other personalities and outfits you could have chosen. You didn't have to choose that outfit."

Sasha blushed in embarrassment and looked away, breaking her role play momentarily, "It looked so interesting on paper: An alcoholic-tea drinking magician from the Church of Annihilatus."

**x~X~x**

Hanabi woke up suddenly as a flash of yellow light filled her room. "Naruto-kun?" Hanabi asked as she strained to see the form at the side of her bed. There wasn't very much light in the room by which to see, and the windows were covered in curtains so the light from outside didn't make it into the room.

"Hey Hanabi." Naruto said softly as sat on the edge of the bed. He had his back to her and was looking straight ahead, away from the bed.

Hanabi instantly knew that something was wrong, "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Hanabi asked as she struggled to sit up. Her arms still hurt right up to her elbows and this late at night the painkillers were starting to wear off.

"So many things have gone wrong in the past twenty-four hours." Naruto answered. Hanabi activated her Byakugan and looked more closely at her love. She noticed that his eyes were closed and his chakra was chaotic. Something awful must have happened.

"Is Musubi alright?"

No answer. Naruto bowed his head slightly as he gripped the edge of the bed tightly. He opened his eyes and stared mournfully at the floor. Fear began to grip Hanabi.

"Please Naruto-kun, what happened to Musubi?" Hanabi lifted a hand and gently placed it on Naruto's back.

"I screwed up. I lost her."

Those words hit Hanabi like a ton of bricks. For a moment she felt as if the floor had just been knocked out from under her and she was free falling. Although they hadn't been together for very long Musubi was a very likeable person. Hanabi had already begun to think of her as a little sister.

"I don't understand, how did it happen?" Hanabi whispered. A part of her wanted to deny it, to call Naruto a liar but it was a small part of her. This wasn't something that Naruto would lie about even if his posture hadn't been a dead give-a-way that something was terribly wrong.

So Naruto told her, the whole story. Everything from the time the two had left the Hospital to the moment he returned to Izumo Inn.

Hanabi's emotions went on a rollercoaster ride as she followed along with the story. Every emotion from fear to excitement to trepidation to confusion rolled through her body. In the end it left her simply numb as she tried to process everything.

"So basically you badly misjudged not only Mutsu's strength but Musubi's drive for battle when you made the decision to leave her behind and that basically caused a giant snowball effect where each problem that arose after that singular mistake was compounded by the previous?" Hanabi asked for clarification.

"Yes, I suppose that's one way to look at it. I should have taken Musubi with me. I knew that Mutsu was out of her league yet I stupidly let her stay and fight. I made the incorrect assumption that with Kagari and a couple clones as backup it would let her last long enough for me to finish my task and get back." Naruto said bitterly. More than anything he hated himself for the stupid mistakes he had made in that rescue attempt. He had attempted to do everything, save everyone, and in the end managed to spectacularly screw up.

It's like the old proverb 'A man that chases two rabbits gets none.' Well that's exactly what happened to him. He had attempted to rescue Kusano and got side tracked by other objectives: Aiding Kagari and saving Kaho. As a result he failed to complete the important one. What's more he lost someone precious in the process.

"You remember how I described Musubi's bond with me yesterday? How it was fractured and Yume was repairing it?"

"Yes." Hanabi remembered. It was hard to think that another Sekirei was inside little Musubi but she hadn't discounted the possibility. After all if Naruto could transfer a Sekirei core from one person to another, it wasn't that large of a jump to transfer the consciousness over as well.

"Well when the shockwave happened the fragile bond shattered. Between the damage Musubi had received physically and the mental damage the shockwave caused she just couldn't hold on anymore. The shockwave came as a result of Kurama forcing back the Sekirei Core deactivation command. The command itself is kind of like a safe guard turning the Sekirei off when the accumulated damage is too much so that they weren't completely exterminated."

Naruto wished he'd known that earlier. There was a very good chance after his analysis of Akitsu that he could have reactivated her after the fact, provided he kept her from MBI hands long enough. He had seen the wounds on Musubi, none of them had been fatal. She'd just taken too much damage overall to keep going.

Hanabi frowned in worry. She laid her forehead against Naruto's back, "You make it sound as if the Sekirei are just some kind of machine you can turn on and off."

"In a way they are. Chakra is required to some degree to live. I've done some analysis on the Sekirei Crest and have figured some things out. There is much I don't understand but unlike a regular person a Sekirei needs far more chakra to continue moving. If you stop the core from producing chakra, or heck even reduce it to a fraction of its normal amount, the Sekirei will simply stop moving because he/she no longer has the energy to do anything." Naruto explained softly to Hanabi. He hadn't explained any of this to his other Sekirei simply because none of them would understand it. Hanabi was as familiar, if not more so due to her bloodline, with the inner workings of chakra than he was.

"So it's possible for someone or something to turn off the core inside me?" Hanabi asked quietly.

Naruto shook his head negatively, "No, your core is connect to Kurama. Since he exists within me there is literally no way for anyone to deactivate it without his say. Besides it wouldn't matter for you anyways. Your core is an addition, not a necessity. It just simply needs to exist for you to be able to mould chakra. At most you'd lose those fancy new gravity powers that put you in the Hospital. Sekirei, from what I can tell, don't have the ability to mould their own chakra. It has to be provided to them in an already useable form by the core." Naruto frowned at that thought; now that he had said it aloud it bothered him a bit. Even the regular humans, if they had large enough chakra coils, could mould their own chakra with enough time and training. Yet Sekirei couldn't. He wasn't positive but he suspected it had something to do with that massive sealing array within the Sekirei.

"So what happened with Musubi and Yume?" Hanabi asked, bringing the topic back on track.

"Yume has basically taken over. What was left of Musubi's psyche was absorbed by Yume. How that happened I don't know…" Naruto left it hanging. The relationship between Yume and Musubi was still a mystery to him even now. He understood bits and pieces of it but the entirety escaped him, and probably always would now that Musubi was gone.

"You'll introduce them to me tomorrow right?" Hanabi asked.

It wasn't a request, it was a command. Yume was already bound to Naruto so Hanabi would have to accept her existence as fact. If she was going to be stuck with her as a sister she might as well get to know her. If she really was just a more mature version of Musubi it shouldn't be that hard.

Akitsu however was a complete unknown. Naruto wouldn't abandon her; Hanabi knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"Them?" Naruto asked nervously.

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow, "I'm not stupid Naruto-kun. I spent my entire life either training or preparing to take over my father's position as head of my clan. I know full well you're planning on winging Akitsu once you fix her seal."

Naruto should have known better than to try and hide anything from Hanabi. She always did seem to have a knack for knowing what he was thinking, and the bond just amplified her ability. There really wasn't any point in protesting it; at least she hadn't kicked him again. "Alright, I'll bring them both over. I never intended to be her Ashikabi from the start though. I just wanted to help her. She… I just don't think she'll accept anyone else, not once I fix her."

"There's more to it than that isn't there?" Hanabi could feel that he was holding something else back and that it was something very important to him.

Naruto sighed, damn Hanabi was perceptive. "She… Akitsu… She has the same power as someone I failed to save long ago. Same personality too, once you get past the shy exterior." Naruto said softly as he blinked away a couple of tears he didn't know he had shed. It was more than just the ice based powers that reminded Naruto of the past, of his first real battle as a Shinobi. The way she referenced herself as a tool, her devotion to him and a host of other small little things like the way she walked and the way she pronounced her words all reminded him of Haku.

Although he doubted Haku ever deliberately took her panties off to go commando. At least he didn't think she did that. Although truth be told he'd never seen any sort of lines beneath Haku's clothing…

Naruto shook his head, that wasn't a train of thought he wanted to continue right now.

"Who?" Hanabi asked gently as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He needed to get this off his chest.

"Haku."

"The woman with the Hyoton bloodline you met during your first C turned A ranked mission." Hanabi expanded.

"Yes."

Hanabi let out a deep sigh. Now she couldn't in good conscious out right reject Akitsu. She was well aware of how many scars Naruto bore on his soul. He always remembered, vividly, each and every person he's failed to save. If helping Akitsu eased that burden, lightened a scar, made him breathe easier and live better, she would tolerate it.

At least she would be willing to learn more about Akitsu before judging.

Still one thing bugged her though, "How many Sekirei do you plan on winging?" Because from her perspective this was turning in one giant harem and if he was planning on bunking up with every female in the city she was going to have some choice words for him along with some plans to ensure that he kept his dick in his pants.

"To be honest I hadn't planned on winging any Sekirei. Musubi and Akitsu were both just me jumping in at the last moment to help them. I was, and still am, perfectly happy with just you. I never needed more than you. I couldn't just leave them though. I can't turn my back on someone who needs my help." It went against everything that Naruto stood for. Everything he'd ever done in his life had been for someone else. It was rare that he ever did something just for himself. If he benefited from something, it was always a side consequence of helping another.

"I know you can't."

"I might need your help with Akitsu."

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I only asked to meet her, I haven't accepted her yet." Hanabi smiled sweetly. If she was going to be forced to accept Akitsu she was going to at least make Naruto sweat a little. "You rescued her, she's your responsibility."

Naruto turned to look her in the eyes, "But…" Naruto tried to argue.

"No buts." Hanabi said as she cut him off. "I'm not going to blindly accept this. You're going to have to convince me." She pressed her chest more firmly against his back to emphasis her point.

Naruto picked up on the hint. He shifted around entirely. "Convince you? I think I can do that." Naruto whispered as he leaned forward and kissed Hanabi passionately.

A soft blue glow filled the room as Hanabi's wings erupted from her back. She relished the feeling and returned the kiss with force. She was gently laid back flat against the bed as Naruto positioned himself on top of her, careful of her arms. There was a gentle tug at her waist and she lifted her lips to allow Naruto to remove her pants. A few moments later the buttons on her top were undone and the shirt was pulled open.

She moaned lightly as Naruto's lips left hers and began to trace their way down her body. He paid extra attention to all her sensitive areas.

If Naruto wanted her to accept Akitsu and help him he needed to convince her, and he had all night to do it.

**x~X~x**

It was late morning when Naruto finally returned to Izumo Inn. He had stayed the night with Hanabi in the Hospital and had left early in the morning just before the sun had risen. Neither of them had gotten very much sleep that night. At one point Naruto had taken a short break to put a sound-barrier in the room so that they wouldn't disturb the neighbours.

After 'convincing' Hanabi to help him fix Akitsu's problem he had headed south. Even though it had only been a day Naruto had decided to swing by the south to see how progress was being made on Hayato Mikogami.

The ANBU squad hadn't reported anything interesting as of yet. They were still working on breaking down the security measures utilized at the mansion.

The Namikaze couple had settled in nicely and were ready to start their part in the plan. Naruto was a little taken aback by the choice of personality that Sasha had decided to pick up. It really made Naruto wonder if more than just a little of his experience with Anko had bled into that clone.

The three clones he had impersonating members of the Yakuza were still on the prowl in the south stirring stuff up. What WAS unexpected was the new addition to his hide out. The two live in maids that were practicing their parts were taking care of an unconscious female.

Apparently the three clones had brought home a guest that they were going to keep hostage, and unconscious, until he was finished down here.

Before he left he had given instructions to the coordinator to arrange to have information about the woman found so she could be dropped off back at her home discreetly without anyone, which included her, knowing how she got there.

Once the operation was done of course.

After checking in Naruto had headed back to Izumo Inn. The return trip from the south was uneventful.

Izumo Inn however was as interesting as it always was. After putting his legendary stamina to good use on Hanabi; Naruto felt he was in dire need of a good long soak in the tub. As he opened the sliding door to the bath he paused at the scene before him.

"Is this a bad time?" Naruto asked Minato as he watched the young man try to pry his package away from a busty brunette. The two paused and turned their heads to stare at Naruto. "I can come back later when the two of you are done. Let it be known that Uzumaki Naruto is anything BUT a cock blocker!"

"No please don't go!"

"Wow I might trade in."

Naruto blinked in surprise for a moment before he realized that the Sekirei was staring at his tool. He knew of her, he had sensed her multiple times in that hidden room, but this was the first time he had been able to get a glimpse of her. Apparently that feeling he had gotten when he had first noticed her was true.

She was a complete pervert.

"Sorry but I'm going to have to pass. This is already spoken for, by multiple women." Naruto said as he pointed at it.

"Uhuhuhuhu, I can share. I don't mind having two men at the same time." The Sekirei cackled as she stared lustfully at Naruto.

The blonde shinobi just shrugged and headed for the bath to start rinsing. "So can I, but some of my women can't. If I don't throw you through a wall if you try anything, they'll throw ME through a wall." He wouldn't really do that, and Hanabi wouldn't really toss him through a wall, but it got the point across. He really had no intention of creating a harem, and he wasn't going to make it any larger unless there were no other options.

"You're not going to help me?" Minato asked aghast as Naruto seemed to casually step into the water filled bath.

"Nope, you seem to have everything well in hand. She's a beautiful Sekirei. Just give in, trust me, you'll enjoy it." Naruto said blissfully as the the warm water washed over him. This was just what he needed: A warm bath and entertainment.

"But Naruto-san! I already have Kaho-chan!"

"And? I have Hanabi, Yume AND Akitsu. Live a little, do you have any idea how many guys would LOVE to be in your shoes right now?"

The brunette flashed Naruto a grin before she turned and pounced on Minato again, who had managed to put some distance between himself and the Sekirei. "Naruto-san is right, let Matsu take good care of you Minato-tan. Just let me squeeze your entire load of hot sticky DNA into me!"

Naruto almost choked on his own saliva when he heard her say that. Forget being as bad as Jiraiya, she was worse. Either that or she hadn't the years of experience his former sensei had at wooing females; possibly a bit of both.

Naruto leaned back and laid his head against the wall. He closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to the sounds of Matsu and Minato struggling.

"No! Stop! I'm not mentally prepared for this!"

"Uhuhuhuhu! Matsu's got you now!" There was the sound of an intense struggle along with the clattering of a wooden water bucket being knocked over.

"I haven't even been with Kaho-chan yet!"

"Good, I get to be your first!"

"Noooo!"

"Ah yes, that's the spot." The regular rhythm of flesh smacking against flesh that was associated with copulation echoed off the walls of the bathroom.

Naruto cracked an eye open as he glanced over at the two. Matsu had succeeded in capturing Minato and was joyfully bouncing up and down. The timid teenager struggled to pull out but from what Naruto could see it was a struggle he was going to lose since Matsu was on top. If he was too weak willed to stop her in the first place he wasn't going to be able to stop her once she got going.

Naruto also wondered if Minato was really that spineless or if there was some… other reason why he was so adamant on rejecting Matsu.

"Yes! Yes! Let it go! Pour your hot sticky DNA into Matsu!"

Since his analysis of Akitsu Naruto realized that Sekirei actually could be winged by that method. It would have been interesting to see if the effects of winging through that method were different but Naruto decided to take pity on the poor man instead. Minato seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Naruto slipped a hand out of the water and laid it against the side of the tub. He moulded his chakra into his hand and created a seal on the wood. It was a simple seal, one of the earliest he had learned when he had taught himself. It was also the one he was best at manipulating in situations such as this.

With a flare of his chakra he focused his will on the seal. Several squiggly lines shot out from beneath his hands and streaked across the room. When the lines reached Minato they expanded outwards and created a large seal beneath the two. The two were both so preoccupied with their own desires, Matsu with her copulation and Minato in his attempt to escape, that neither noticed what was going on until they both suddenly stopped, unable to move.

Naruto had projected a paralysis seal across the room and trapped both Matsu and Minato in it. It wasn't any good in combat situations. It didn't freeze the target per-say as it paralyzed the muscles. Anyone in motion would have their movements sealed for a moment but the momentum they already had would carry them out of the seal and they would regain their ability to move.

It just wasn't worth it when Naruto had far better techniques at his disposal.

"W-What? What is this?" Matsu cried out in disbelief.

"Just taking pity on the poor man." Naruto said as he smiled at Minato who was looking at him with relief in his eyes. He was stuck too, but at least Matsu was no longer bouncing up and down on him. "He'll thank me later, after the bruises heal."

"Bruises?" Minato asked in confusion.

"No, no you wouldn't! Not like this! You wouldn't dare!" Matsu gasped out in horror. She had already picked up on what Naruto had implied. It was one of the most evil things she had ever heard of.

"Oh, I think I would." Naruto grinned evilly. Although Matsu couldn't see him from her position she still felt a chill run down her spine.

"What are you talking about Naruto-san?" Minato asked, he started to get a little nervous as he picked up on Matsu's fear.

Naruto grinned even wider and opened his mouth, "BAD MATSU! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT IN THE BEDROOM!"

Minato's eyes widened in terror as it fully dawned on him just what sort of impending doom headed his way.

"You're a very bad man." Matsu said with a pout. She slowly closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh as she resigned herself to her fate.

There was the sound of a sword being drawn from a sheath, "I heard some rather interesting noises coming from the bath so I came to check them out. I thought Uzumaki-san was exaggerating but I see that he was not." Miya said as she gracefully crossed the bath and laid her sword against Matsu's shoulder, "You know impure acts in Izumo Inn's bath are prohibited Matsu-san!" Miya smiled at Matsu as a demonic mask appeared to hover above Miya's shoulder.

Naruto had gone back to relaxing in the bath; a small smile still graced his face as he pictured the scene in his mind. Miya was very good; he hadn't even heard her walk into the bathroom. And she had arrived extremely quickly. It was as if she had been hiding just outside the bathroom.

He hadn't even noticed her presence until she had unsheathed her sword. One of these days he would find out just how she was able to conceal her presence so thoroughly.

"Ah Miya-san, you're very angry, right?" Matsu asked rhetorically as large sweat drops began to bead on the back of her head. Minato just laid there quivering in fear.

Miya didn't say anything. She just gave Matsu another one of her chillingly cold smiles and let the mask disappear. Miya reached for Matsu to pull her off Minato but when her hand crossed the threshold of the seal it seized up and she quickly pulled her hand back.

She shook the feeling back into her hand as she stepped back. She noticed for the first time the large drawing on the floor of her bathroom. She followed the lines back across the room to where Naruto's hand was pressed against the side of the bathtub.

Despite the fact that she didn't know what it was that he had done, she still knew that it was his fault, "Uzumaki-san, could you let the two of them go please? I'd like to be able to punish them properly." Miya asked Naruto.

Naruto opened his eyes and blinked a couple times. "Ah, sorry Miya-chan. Just thought you'd like to catch them in the act." Naruto apologized.

She let the chan suffix pass without comment, "I appreciate the sentiment Naruto-san but please, release them."

"As you wish Miya-chan." Naruto obeyed as he stood up. He was done soaking anyways; it was time to scrub his body. As he stood he sent a pulse of chakra back into the seal and allowed it to dissolve away into the floor.

Miya hurriedly turned away from Naruto's naked form. Small touches of color graced her cheeks. She chastised herself mentally and collected herself before she clamped down on Matsu's shoulder with an iron grip.

"We're going to have a small chat about which activities are appropriate and which ones are not, Matsu-san." Miya said in a deceptively sweet voice as she literally dragged Matsu off Minato and out of the bath area. She almost convinced herself that her hurried pace was entirely due to her desire to punish Matsu for breaking her rules and not to get away from the image of a certain nude blonde.

**x~X~x**

"Hey Chiho!" Hanabi greeted her friend as she entered her friend's room.

Chiho looked up from the small book she was reading and gave Hanabi a concerned look. "Good morning Hanabi-chan, are you alright?" She asked as she marked her spot in the book and set it to the side.

Hanabi adopted a confused look as she took a seat in the chair beside Chiho's bed, "Of course, better than usual actually. Why do you ask?" Hanabi asked curiously.

Chiho folded her hands in her lap and fidgeted a little, "Oh, well, I heard you scream and moan quite a bit last night and then suddenly it went very quiet."

Hanabi blushed bright red, "O-Oh… ah, well, you see, I'm fine. Naruto just visited, that's all."

"Oh, I..." Chiho gasped and blushed just as brightly as Hanabi and turned away. "Ooohhhh…" Suddenly she couldn't look her friend in the eye anymore.

The two sat together in awkward silence.

Hanabi cleared her throat roughly as she tried to break the silence, "Aheh, anyways. I have a concern and wanted to hear your thoughts on something."

Chiho brightened and faced Hanabi again, "Sure Hanabi-chan, what is it?"

"I know you're Uzume's Ashikabi but say for a moment your roles were reversed and you were the Sekirei and she was the Ashikabi." Hanabi started as she collected her thoughts. Her own feelings were completely jumbled and mixed up with the situation she found herself in with her Naruto-kun so she wanted someone to talk with to sort her feelings out.

Chiho nodded, "Naruto-kun is your Ashikabi?"

Hanabi grimaced, was he her Ashikabi? She didn't know, her situation was very complex. "I don't really know. To say I'm a Sekirei is like saying a crust of bread is a full slice. It is part of what I am but I'm more than just that. To me Naruto-kun is more than just an Ashikabi; he's my love, my fiancée, my friend, my commander and more."

"I see, sorry for interrupting, go on."

"No, it is fine; anyways I just wanted to know how you would feel, as a woman, if Uzume went out and winged other Sekirei." Hanabi asked.

Chiho didn't take any time to come to an answer. "This is easy for me to answer." She said and she smiled gently at her friend. Chiho placed a hand over her heart, "I love Uzume-chan. If she loves me back, nothing else matters."

Hanabi was stunned. It was such a simple answer. She loved Naruto-kun and she knew that he loved her back. She could 'feel' his love for her. If anything it was stronger now than it ever was before.

And physical sharing wasn't an issue with those wonderful clones of his as he demonstrated so well last night.

"I…" Hanabi took a deep breath, "I never thought about it that way."

"You were worried that he would love you less, that he would start to neglect you in favor of them?" Chiho asked although it was more of a statement than a question. "I've seen how he looks at you; I don't think you have to worry."

No, she really didn't. Naruto had a heart the size of the Elemental Nations. Hanabi gave Chiho a grateful smile, "Thanks."

Chiho brought a hand to her mouth giggled a little, "Besides, if I had a man like Naruto-kun I wouldn't mind sharing."

Hanabi growled playfully at the bedridden girl, "No! He's mine even if he can multiply himself!"

"Wait, Naruto-kun can multiply himself?" Chiho asked in wonderment.

"Erm, can you forget you heard that?" Hanabi begged, she hadn't meant to let that part about Naruto slip.

A trickle of blood dripped from Chiho's nose, "So that's why you were so loud last night." She murmured to herself as she got lost in a day dream.

"Chiho!"

**x~X~x**

Naruto hadn't stayed in the bath long after Matsu had been dragged away. He had quickly finished up and left. As he left the bath he had seen Minato hugging his knees and facing the corner as he mumbled some incoherent babble under his breath.

Sometimes Naruto really wondered if that man was gay.

After he had left the bathroom fully dressed Miya had walked in, fully intent on chastising Minato for his part in the illicit activities. He had seen Matsu curled up in a little ball of the dining room muttering something about 'Matsu is a good girl' and 'scared of the ladle' on his way out onto the veranda.

Currently he was sitting on the edge of the veranda sipping some tea as he gazed out into the yard. He had one leg pulled up on the edge while the other was placed flat on the grass. Naruto noted that it was quite a beautiful day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Sometimes it was nice to just sit back and enjoy a nice drink. He leaned his head against the pillar to his left and sighed contently.

It was such a relaxing afternoon.

Beside him was an empty tray that had been used to bring the cups of tea outside.

On the other side of the tray was Miya. She was sitting in the seiza position on a cushion as she too calmly sipped a cup of tea she had prepared earlier. Much like Naruto she enjoyed sitting on her veranda enjoying a nice cup of tea on beautiful days like this.

"That was an interesting trick you did in the bath earlier." Miya said calmly as she watched a pair of song birds dance through the limbs of the tree on her front property.

"I have many interesting tricks, that was simply one of them." Naruto replied with a grin. A gust of wind blew in from the south causing Naruto to brush a few strands of hair from his eyes.

Miya made a soft noise as she took another sip of her tea, "You could have stopped that whole incident before it had even begun." It wasn't a question.

Naruto shrugged and set down his now empty cup on the platter, "I could have, yes, but I hadn't expected Minato to be that spineless. Plus it has provided us such great entertainment."

"Hmph." Miya couldn't disagree with him on that part.

A rumble shook the house slightly and a bedraggled Matsu appeared from the sky. "Someone help me!" She cried as she ran across the yard.

Naruto had seen few people move that fast before, and it was a good thing that she did as a massive explosion of dust and dirt erupted from the spot Matsu had just landed. When the dust settled it revealed Kaho glaring at Matsu from atop her Naginata, which was embedded up to the wooden shaft in the ground, with murder in her eyes.

"YOU MOLESTED MY MINATO-KUN!" Kaho raged at the brain type Sekirei. "YOU MOLESTED HIM BEFORE I COULD! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kaho flipped off the butt of her Naginata and grabbed it while in midair. With a mighty heave she ripped it from the ground and hurled it Matsu. The brown haired Sekirei barely managed to dodge the impromptu projectile as it screamed past her face. The air seemed to literally vibrate around it.

"Oh god Miya-san help me! She's going to kill me!" Matsu screamed in terror as she darted around the corner of the house.

Kaho's face scrunched up in rage as a snarl escaped from her lips. She bolted after the perverted Sekirei, fully intent on unleashing her fury upon the woman.

"See? Entertainment." Naruto said with a grin as he watched antics of Minato's Sekirei from the sidelines.

Kaho had been rather annoyed when she had returned from her shopping trip with torn up clothes. Unlike most Sekirei she seemed to know, and care, about her modesty. However when she had learned that her modesty had been ruined by Matsu, the same Matsu that had taken advantage of her Ashikabi why she was away, she had snapped.

"And you had this planned from the start?" Miya asked as she brought a hand to her mouth and gave Naruto her patented closed eye smile.

"Well, no, but any good Shinobi takes advantage of changes in a situation."

Miya's light laugh sent a shiver of pleasure down Naruto's back. "Should I call you Shinobi-san from now on?"

Naruto's face froze for a moment before a sheepish grin creased his face. He scratched the back of his head and laughed, "Ah, I'd rather you didn't. I'd rather people didn't know I'm a Shinobi."

Miya laughed again, she enjoyed teasing Naruto. She eyed the hole in the ground left behind by Kaho's weapon, "It's a good thing you hadn't planned for this to happen. Otherwise I would have to get you to repair this damage as well." Miya said lightly.

Naruto shivered again, this time it wasn't so pleasant, as the sound of splintering wood was heard coming from the back yard. Yes it was a very good thing he hadn't planned this. This little game of cat and mouse could end up causing almost as much damage as the one he had with Miya.

There was a cry of surprise as Matsu's body was thrown out the front door of Izumo Inn. Her flight looked almost graceful for the few moments she was airborne before she slammed hard into the stones leading out to the road. With inhuman pain tolerance and endurance that could only come from someone whose life was endangered Matsu was on her feet in an instant as she shrugged off the hard landing.

With a yelp she darted back across the lawn as she passed once again in front of Miya and Naruto. From the house Kaho charged out like a berserker. She paused momentarily to rip her naginata from the fence it had imbedded itself into before she took up the chance again.

With a battle cry she too crossed in front of the two powerful individuals as she chased Matsu around the other side of the house.

A pair of footsteps came up to the two of them from behind. Naruto turned his head to regard the new person. Minato looked incredibly worn out, as if he had just fought a major battle and hadn't had any time to rest. He was sweaty, dirty, and out of breath. He'd need another bath before the day was over.

"Naruto-san, Miya-san, can't you two stop them?" Minato pleaded helplessly. He couldn't keep up with the Sekirei and their inhuman endurance.

"This will be a good lesson for Matsu-san to learn, if she survives." Miya said as she calmly finished off her cup of tea. While Matsu feared her, she was intelligent enough to know that her life was never really at stake. Perhaps the fear of death will make Matsu less perverted?

Probably not but it may calm her down for the next week or two.

"Hey, I'm not getting in the way of that feminine fury. I've dealt with enough of that over the course of my life; I'm not jumping into the fire this time." Naruto replied, "Besides Matsu's not your Sekirei yet. Technically what she did was an attack on you so Kaho isn't 'entirely' in the wrong."

"B-but what about the no violence at Izumo Inn?" Minato asked desperately.

Naruto and Miya shared a look, "This isn't violence." Miya said calmly as she set her cup on the tray beside Naruto's. "I see this as proper chastisement and that's perfectly acceptable."

"Odd definition of violence." Naruto murmured under his breath.

"What was that Uzumaki-san?"

"Nothing Miya-chan." Naruto said with a smile and a laugh.

Another crash reverberated through the house and Minato ran off in a panic. He had to stop the fight before the entire place was destroyed.

"Still, as enjoyable as this is this place may not survive the battle to its conclusion." Naruto mused.

"Matsu knows well enough not to drag Kaho anywhere important." Miya said with a dark smile as her aura began to appear around her. "I'm sure she'll let herself be killed before anything important gets damaged. Right Matsu-san?" Miya asked.

"Yes Miya-sama!" Matsu cried out as she jumped down from the rooftop and bolted into the house. Angering Kaho was one thing. Making Miya 'truly' upset was something far different. She'd rather die than face Miya when she was like 'that'.

Kaho soon followed her over the edge of the roof and back into the house. Her Naginata was missing again. Naruto figured it was probably embedded in another wall although the roof was a definite possibility.

"How long have you been a Shinobi?" Miya asked curiously. It was rare for the two of them to just sit together and talk. It was a beautiful day and they had great entertainment. It was the perfect time to learn more about her enigmatic tenant.

Naruto debated on how much he should tell Miya. He trusted her, but did he 'trust' her? In the end it probably didn't matter if she knew the basic details of his life. "Most of my life to be honest." Naruto said as he remembered back to the good old days. "I lived in a militarized village. People that wished to become Shinobi went to a school specifically designed for training us. It was possible to start the training when you were older but most that were serious started when they were six."

"Oh my, to train assassins at such a young age." Miya said in faux concern.

"Oh we weren't taught anything dangerous at that age. Until we were ten most of what we were taught was just basic knowledge like math, language and history. There were a few subjects that were specialized such as anatomy and psychology but nothing truly dangerous." Naruto answered. He was quite familiar with the training regime, although he himself had spent more time skipping out on lectures than actually paying attention. History was the only one he had ever been truly interested in. "Maybe we were young but in my old country you had to grow up fast. It wasn't a very friendly place to be. My old home makes this Shinto Teito look like a nice refreshing picnic, even with all the gang violence, random crimes and the Sekirei Plan."

"Sounds like a horrible place to live."

Naruto shrugged, "It was all I knew and it wasn't all bad. I had many good friends, and good friends can make anything bearable." It was just almost all bad. His early years had been a lonely nightmare from which he had done everything possible to escape. Things had gotten better after he had joined the Academy and it peaked while Sasuke was a part of Team 7.

Then everything went to hell. Little by little he had begun to lose his friends, his mentors and everyone else he cared about.

Life hadn't become any better until he had arrived here in Shinto Teito. Even with everything that's happened it was still far better than the hellish war they had survived.

A light touch on his arm brought his attention back to the present. Miya gazed at him with concern in her eyes, "You don't have to say anything more if it makes you uncomfortable."

Naruto placed a hand over hers. "Nah, it's alright. I miss my old friends but I'm not alone. I have new precious people now: Hanabi, Yume, Akitsu and even you." Naruto said as he smiled at her.

Miya pulled her hand a way and covered her mouth with it. "Oh Naruto-san, you are a bad person trying to woo a poor little old widow like me away from my Takehito-san."

Naruto hadn't really meant it in that way and he was certain that Miya knew that as well. One didn't need to be intimate to be considered precious. Still it was fun to play along, "Well, while that's not an entirely unappealing I think Hanabi might chase me around the property if I tried. Very much like Kaho is chasing Matsu right now."

As if mentioning the two brought summoned them there was another large crash as Matsu was thrown bodily through one of the walls. Kaho was quick to follow as she leapt through the hole, summersaulted in the air and dove at the down Sekirei with her naginata stretched out before her.

Matsu barely managed to shift her body in time to avoid the weapon as it slammed into the ground just millimeters from her body.

"I think you may want to step in and stop this before it goes too far." Naruto said as he eyed the rather large hole that Matsu's body had made in the wall.

"Yes, perhaps you are right." Miya agreed as she slowly got to her feet. "Chastisement is all fine and well but I can't have the two of them destroying the Inn that Takehito-san loved so much."

Naruto grinned again as he watched Miya glide towards Kaho and Matsu. This too would be quite entertaining to see. His grin widened as he saw Kaho and Matsu tense as the dark purple aura began to erupt around the purple-haired landlady.

It was such a relaxing afternoon.

Well, at least for him anyways.

**x~X~x**

"That has to be it." Recon 4 said as he jumped from the top of one large swell to the next.

"Agreed." Recon 3 replied as he stared at the object in the distance. It had to be their destination. It was right dead smack in the middle of the dead zone they had been tasked with exploring.

Recon 3 and Recon 4 were two of the six clones that Naruto had created to survey the three possible locations of Kamikura Island. To help differentiate between the various clones they had taken the code names Recon 1 through 6.

Recon 1 was paired with Recon 6 and Recon 2 was paired with Recon 5. The clones had been made in sets of three. The first three had been given a lot of chakra as it would be up to them to do the actual exploring of the island when they got to it. The latter three clones were the ones that were supposed to dispel themselves when they confirmed the location. As such they didn't need as much chakra as the first three.

Recon 1 was the official 'captain' of the all six but orders were rarely needed as they were all well aware of what had to be done. Recon 1 was only there to give orders and make changes to the plan should the unexpected arise. Considering the potential for there to be a trap waiting for them at the site it was only prudent to have someone in charge to make those quick last minute changes.

All six clones had been garbed in the standard ANBU gear that had been common back in Konoha. It wasn't necessary for them to do so but it helped them get into the proper mindset for the task at hand.

Plus it looked cool, even if it did lack orange.

"Should I disperse and let the others know?" Recon 4 asked his companion. While they were split into groups of two the small numbered clones were in charge.

"Not yet, we need to make sure. This could just be a random island." Recon 3 replied as ran on top of the large swell of water. It was heading straight for the island in question so there wasn't any reason to vacate it. "If the Sekirei were originally adjusted there on that island there should be some kind of structure."

"Roger that." Recon 4 said as he eyed the island again.

The island didn't look like a particularly hospitable place. It was hard to judge accurately how large the island was but from the side they were looking at it appeared to be almost two kilometers in length. From what he could see the island appeared to be devoid of life as well, just craggy rocky ground.

Quite frankly it looked like someone had taken a pair of rocky hills, slapped them together and tossed them into the sea.

Still, the island wasn't very big. They could probably see across the breadth of the island by climbing to the top of the hill. Recon 4 glanced over at his leader and pointed to the top of the larger of the two hills.

Recon 3 nodded in affirmation and the two adjusted their course. They quickly sped across the last of the open water and made land fall at the base of the larger hill. Most of the island was surrounded by sheer cliff faces but here and there the rock walls gave way to rocky beaches.

"This isn't much of a beach." Recon 4 muttered as he stared at the gravel as he crunched his way across it. It certainly wasn't the type of beach he'd like to ever relax on. There wasn't an ounce of sand here. Just rocks of different shapes and sizes. Aside from being useful as a point of landing there was no real purpose to it that Recon 4 could see.

"I don't think this is much of an island at all." Recon 3 said as he stared up at the top of the hill. "This doesn't look like any island I've ever seen. It's too… artificial."

The other clone understood what he was referring to. "Yes, I just noticed that as well. No matter how an island is created, so long as it's natural, there will be nature energy to sense and draw upon." Recon 4 stretched his senses out and stilled his mind and body. All he could sense was himself, his partner and something else, "There's no nature energy here but there is something else. It feels almost like chakra, but it's far more pure, more primal." It almost felt like… but no that was impossible.

"I don't like this place." Recon 3 said as beckoned the other clone to follow him. "Let's get to the top of that hill and survey the island."

The two clones took off up the beach and scaled the hill quickly. It only took them a minute to cover the short distance to the top of the hill. When they got to the top of the hill they noticed that it wasn't very large. They had been staring at the longer side of the island on their approach. The island was only about half as wide as it was long.

And the entire place was just as barren as the beach they had landed on.

"This truly is an inhospitable island." Recon 4 muttered as he took in the island in all its glory.

"True, but it's probably the right place." Recon 3 said as he pointed in the distance. There in the center of the island was a sight they couldn't quite comprehend. They had no idea what it was. It looked like a large circular metallic construct of some sort that was half buried in the ground.

And there further past it on the far side of the island was what looked like a large man-made arena. It was a large open area with what appeared to be a large sunken center area with steps leading up to the edges. Lights and speakers appeared to ring the entire platform. You could easily land a dozen helicopters on the pad and still have room for more.

There was a highway connecting the arena to the large circular structure. This too was lined with lights. Off to the side of the highway about halfway between the landing zone and the center of the island was what appeared to be a hidden compound of some sort. It was hidden in a large crack in the ground and unless someone had the high ground, or hid in the crack itself, it wouldn't be visible. It was probably a power generating station for the lights.

A backlash of memories hit both the clones. One of their companions, Recon 5, had just dispelled themselves. Recon 2 and Recon 5 had just reached their destination and had found a large shoal. It was enormous and probably explained why the ships detoured around the area. It also eliminated that area as a possible target.

"Dispel yourself." Recon 3 ordered. This had to be the place then. Recon 1 and 6 hadn't reached their destination but it didn't matter. If what they had here wasn't the right spot, it was still important enough for them to investigate regardless.

A hidden island with a large landing pad and an unknown complex? This was definitely worth checking out.

There was the sound of a poof as Recon 4 dispelled himself. The memories of their journey across the Sea of Japan and the preliminary exploration of the island settled in his mind. It was always interesting to see everything he saw again from a second point of view.

Another batch of memories hit him as the memories from Recon 6 soon followed. He didn't have time to process those memories before two yellow flashes appeared beside him. Originally Naruto himself was going to come and check the place out. However it had been decided after the fact that with the colossal mess that had been the Kusano Rescue that they were to deal with this on their own and let Naruto get things sorted out back home.

After all, he'd be able to get here whenever he wanted after the fact. "Recon 2, etch the seal into the top of the hill. Recon 3 and I will head towards that strange structure at the center of the island." Recon 1 ordered.

Recon 2 quickly went to work etching the Hiraishin seal into the top of the hill with a kunai. With that there Naruto could quickly get to the island whenever he wanted. He made sure to make it deep so that it would survive weathering for a time.

In the meantime Recon 1 and 3 headed towards the center of the island. Again it didn't take them very long to get there. They shot down the hill and past the cracked and ruined landscape. They both noted that certain areas appeared to have been devastated by some unknown force.

They saw the signs though and knew what had happened. There had obviously been a battle of some sort here on the island in the past. Scars from wars never really disappeared, only faded. Even if the landscape repaired itself and covered all physical evidence of the conflict, there was always a lingering presence in the air that those sensitive enough could feel.

Blood had been shed over this island.

When they arrived at the site they noticed that the structure was in far more disrepair than they had suspected. It hadn't been obvious from their position on the hill but now that they were up close and next to it they realized that it was badly damaged. It definitely looked as if some makeshift repairs had been done to the structure to help maintain its integrity but the signs of damage were still very noticeable.

"Damn, it looks like this place fell from a huge distance and buried itself into the ground." Recon 3 said as he gazed in awe at the sight before him. He had never seen anything like this before. "You don't think it's like one of those crash landed spaceships we sometimes saw in the shows Hanabi liked to watch do you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Recon 1 replied as he approached the structure. The road from the platform ended just a ways ahead right next to the side of it. There was what appeared to be a terminal of some kind embedded into the wall of the ship next to some kind of doorway.

"This looks like the biometric scanner we have installed in the warehouse at Charlie Point." Recon 1 murmured as he leaned in to peer closely at the terminal embedded in the wall. He turned to Recon 3. "Place you hand on it and see what happens."

"Are you sure about this Captain? It could alert MBI to our presence here." Recon 3 answered as he approached the terminal. He was a little apprehensive about this. They were supposed to be infiltrating this compound, walking through the front door seemed strange to him.

"It doesn't matter. What can they do? Kamikura Island isn't supposed to exist so they can't bring any legal action down on us." There was nothing that MBI could do to them here publicly. The Sekirei Plan was supposed to be secret and this island didn't exist. Naruto was too powerful for them to bring their Sekirei to bear in direct confrontation and he lived in a location that MBI did not, and could not, control. "Plus we're clones. We don't need to worry about getting out, only getting in. We can get in, find whatever information we can, and disperse before they mount any sort of response."

"And if there are people inside there?"

"Take them out, but don't use lethal means unless it's necessary."

"Alright Captain, you've obviously thought this through." Recon 3 said as he reluctantly placed his hand on the terminal. Recon 3 felt a wave of chakra wash over him. The terminal was using a type of chakra based analysis network, it was similar to what medic-nins back in his time used to analyze their patients but far more complex, to analyze not only the finger print but the identity of the individual with the finger prints.

It was actually a pretty good idea since it was rather easy to chop someone's hand off and use that as a means of entry.

However neither of them was prepared for what came next.

A mechanical voice, that had soft feminine undertones, came alive from a hidden speaker. "Welcome Clone of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." There was a soft hiss as the door beside the terminal slide open.

Recon 1 exchanged a confused and startled look with Recon 3. Recon 3 summed up both their thoughts quite nicely with what he said next.

"What. The. Fuck."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

An interesting note is that Kamikura Island in the anime was circular and had only a single peak, yet in the manga there were two distinctly different places of high elevation and is definitely not circular. Since I prefer the manga over the anime I decided to go with the look from the manga.

The thugs at the start, I just gave them random names. If they relate to anyone you, my reader, knows, it's purely coincidence. I just didn't want to say 'random dude 1' and 'random dude 2' and so on and so forth.

And as for Sasha, well, points for whoever figures out whom she is, although it's pretty obvious. Anyone that's read the light novels, the manga or watched the show should instantly be able to figure it out. The only liberty I took was with her age, changed it to make her legal.

Also, yes Haku is female. I refuse to accept that she's male. REFUSE YOU HEAR ME! REFUSE! There is also far more evidence to suggest she's female than male. And just because an undercover Shinobi tells you something, aka like she is male for instance, doesn't mean that it's the truth. Any Shinobi worth their salt will lie to gain or keep an advantage, especially in front of an enemy. Well except Naruto but he's never been the norm, even after 8 years of war.

Did Matsu rape Minato? My opinion is nope. That scene likely would have happened in the manga had Musubi not appeared early. I view Minato as someone that WANTS to, but is too spineless to ever act upon his desires despite his Sekirei being MORE than willing.

Also as you can see I'm not giving her to Naruto. He needs to have some sort of flaw I can exploit otherwise I can't make him realistically lose ever again. Information is about the only thing others can trump Naruto in. He outclasses everyone and everything else in every other regard. Still I will be alleviating this issue slightly in several different ways as the story unfolds.


	15. Chapter 14: Lineage

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: Well here's chapter 14. I could have released this chapter earlier but I wanted to have a very good look over it before I released it. There are some things in here that I 'have' to be sure I want written the way they are because it will have an impact on the rest of the story. There won't be any going back and manipulating it in the future. There are some very critical things revealed in this chapter. The revelation in the ship will be the blatant one but there are others that are more subtle.**

**I haven't really decided how long I wish to make my story but so far it's up over 220,000 words and it's still got a ways to go (that's how much I've written, not posted). To be honest I think breaking 200,000 words is a great achievement since it puts my story at just above the length of a standard novel. I won't be needlessly stretching it out though. As everyone knows after that Hayato Arc I have to deal with Higa and I have no idea how long that'll end up being. After that… after that things start to get interesting.**

**Review Responses:**

Not too much to comment on without giving away spoilers but there are a couple things.

Please stop thinking my chapters are fillers. I know most don't but on several occasions now on several different chapters I've had this comment come up. Fillers are chapters/episodes/whatever that have no relevant barring on the overall plots of the story. I haven't made a single chapter like that yet. Every chapter I have created has had a purpose behind it. The last chapter had several: Naruto and Hanabi's conversation finally wraps up the Musubi arc. There's the deepening of Naruto x Miya relationship. Hanabi becoming more accepting of Naruto's growing harem. These events alone make the previous chapter anything but filler since they'll have an impact on how future events play out. Even the scene between Matsu, Minato and Kaho existed for the purpose of lightening a previously very dark tone to the story. It's needed not so much to forward plot but to help balance and alleviate the darkness of a few chapters past.

I don't write needless chapters.

There are understandably a lot of people curious about the ship. While I can't say that your curiosity will be satisfied this chapter you'll definitely learn something interesting that will make up for it. However there will be a sliver of a hint as to why the ship recognizes him. However the 'why' is a secret I'm saving for a later chapter. I can say a couple things though. The voice is the automated recognition system associated with the scanner. The scanner is part of the original ship and not an addition to it by MBI.

**Chapter 14: Lineage**

There was a loud clang as the sound of metal meeting metal reached Recon 2's ears. The shadow clone frowned and quickly hid his presence as he neared the entrance to the facility. Recon 1 and Recon 3 should have already been inside by now. That he could hear fighting meant that they had met opposition of some kind.

Recon 2 eased around a rocky crag and looked upon the entrance way to the lab. He had been right, Recon 1 and Recon 3 were in combat with some unknown woman. She wore long black thigh high socks with a pair of black heels and a short black dress that just barely went past her ass. Her hands were covered with a pair of fingerless black gloves and held a long sword. The entire ensemble was topped off with a billowing grey cloak that somehow seemed to defy the laws of nature and stayed attached to her shoulders despite her movements. Her long gray haired was tied back into a pony tail.

Recon 2 was pretty sure he already knew what the woman was but stretched his senses out anyways just to be sure. He noticed the abnormally large concentration of chakra within the woman's chest that confirmed his suspicions.

She was a Sekirei.

A powerful one at that judging by how easily she was keeping up with his two companions. It was true that they had just travelled almost two days across choppy water and didn't really have the chakra reserves for a long drawn out battle but two of them should have been more than a match for a normal Sekirei.

That meant this wasn't a normal Sekirei.

Recon 2 watched as the grey haired woman literally cut a **Fūton: Renkūdan** in half. Whoever she was, she was good, and she had a chakra enhanced blade just like Mutsu. Recon 3 barely managed to avoid the counter-attack that the powerful Sekirei launched in retaliation thanks to some quick thinking by Recon 1.

As much as Recon 2 would have loved to join the fight and aid his companions he had a job to do, they all did. While Recon 1 and 3 kept her busy he could easily slip into the facility and do the exploration they had come here to do.

As much as defeating that woman would be nice, it ran the risk of leaving them too exhausted to continue on with their task. Their mission came above defeating some unknown Sekirei.

"**Henge no Jutsu.**" Recon 2 muttered under his breath. There wasn't even a poof of smoke. Recon 2 just simply dissolved and reformed as something much smaller: A mouse. Now that he was disguised he quickly darted across the rocky ground making sure to stick to the cracks and crevices in the ground whenever he could.

Despite the fact that he was disguised he didn't want to be spotted, and there was always the potential of a stray attack clipping him.

As if to emphasise that thought, a storm of kunai slammed into the ground around him as Recon 3 sent a massive barrage of kunai at the unknown Sekirei. The Sekirei seemed to weave through the wave of kunai effortlessly and batted away only the occasional blade as it strayed too close to her.

"**Suiton: Mizudeppō!**" Recon 1 shouted as he spat out a stream of spinning water at the Sekirei. The Sekirei dodged to the side, just barely avoiding the stream of water.

Recon 3 however had been ready for such a move and performed a quick **Shunshin no Jutsu** to get to her side. He twisted as he appeared beside her and lashed out with his foot. The foot slammed into her side and knocked her back into the spinning stream of water. The woman cried out for a moment as it tore into her clothing and knocked her spinning into the distance.

Recon 1 glanced over at Recon 2 in his disguised form and gave him a short quick nod before he focused his attention back on the unknown Sekirei.

That look was all the confirmation Recon 2 needed as he darted quickly across the now open landscape. Recon 1 and Recon 3 would keep the Sekirei busy while he investigated the complex.

There were several tense moments when Recon 2 was exposed above ground but they passed and he safely made it to the entrance of the facility. Thankfully it was still open as it would have been rather difficult to open the door as a mouse.

He stopped for a moment as laughter began to echo across the area. The woman slowly rose to her feet and grinned at Recon 1 and Recon 3 viciously, "I'm glad I waited here for you, I knew you would show up when I saw that map. It's been a long time since I've been able to enjoy myself this thoroughly!"

She was definitely worse for wear than before but she looked even more excited and ready to do battle, if that was possible. Her cloak was gone and her mini-dress might as well not exist. She had been reduced to nothing more than, her gloves, thigh high socks, her heels and a pair of black lace panties. There were also scratches and bruises were beginning to form on her chest. That last attack had definitely done some damage.

"Well that's going to be distracting." Recon 3 muttered as he eyed her naked form appreciatively. Recon 2 had to agree, was every Sekirei perfectly proportioned and absolutely gorgeous? It's like the only thing that really different between them was their hair color and the size of their breasts.

He was exaggerating a little, but not by much. He had yet to see an ugly Sekirei, heck he hadn't even seen a 'plain' Sekirei.

"Please don't let it be! I haven't enjoyed a good fight in years! Don't disappoint me now." She said as she licked her lips and brought her sword up.

That was his queue to get the hell out of there and into the facility. He could easily feel her bloodlust. While it was not on par with the likes of Orochimaru or Kurama it was still pretty strong.

As Recon 2 quickly darted into the facility the temperature dipped sharply. Despite the lack of vegetation the island was actually remarkably adept at retaining heat. The interior of the facility was quite cool and the cold tile floor bite sharply into his feet. The walls and ceiling were made out of a strange alien metal he hadn't encountered before. It was different from what was used in the Elemental Nations and definitely different from the alloys used in Shinto Teito.

The lights of the facility were still on, although they appeared to be dimmed. Climate control also appeared to be off as the sole bit of air flow came from the open door behind him. This place must have been vacant for a while now.

Recon 2 released his transformation and reverted back into his normal self. He could cover more ground with his own two legs and as long as he hid his presence the Sekirei outside shouldn't detect him.

He placed his hand on the wall and sucked his breath in sharply. While he didn't know exactly what the metal was made from he instantly understood something about it. It was capable of conducting chakra.

To be able to build something this large out of chakra conducting metal must of taken years, perhaps even decades. Of course he was basing that on what he knew of this new world and of his old one. Unless a new process had been discovered it was difficult to create chakra conducting material of any sort.

He removed his hand from the wall and look down the hall. It didn't appear to deviate very much. There was single intersection not far from where he was but aside from that it went in a straight line until it ended at a door not far beyond the intersection. With nowhere else to go Recon 2 quickly jogged down the corridor, making sure to keep his footfalls light and silent.

At the intersection he paused and looked in either direction. The corridors seemed to curve around out of sight blocking his ability to see very far down either corridor. He quickly brought forth a couple shadow clones and indicated they should head down either corridor. The two nodded and silently went on their way.

Recon 2 continued on, towards the doorway he had seen earlier. He frowned as he approached it. There wasn't any visible terminal, handle, or anything that could be used to open it. He hoped he wouldn't have to use force as he stopped just before it.

There was a quiet hiss as the door automatically opened up. "Well that's a relief." He said quietly under his breath as he entered the room beyond.

He blinked in surprise as he took in the large circular room. At least he knew why the side corridors curved. They were probably circling this room.

The room itself was awe inspiring and beautiful all at the same time. Whatever was powering the facility was still powering this room. Brilliant cyan and topaz colored lights lit up the hexagonal patterns on the wall in a dazzling display. In the room itself were six circular terraces, all contained within each other. On the first five terraces were rings of what Recon 2 assumed were egg shaped incubators. They looked very much like the machines that babies were placed in at the Hospital if they needed extra care and attention. He had seen a couple such machines used when Hanabi had been admitted to the Hospital the first time.

In the very center of the room however, on the final and inner most terrace, was a much larger incubation machine. This one looked large enough to hold an adult. It really didn't take much imagination for Recon 2 to realize that this entire structure was dedicated to whatever 'was' contained in this room.

And after what Musubi had told him, about being first adjusted on Kamikura Island, Recon 2 was certain that this was where the Sekirei originally came from. A quick count of the pods confirmed this as they added up to 108 which was the exact number of Sekirei that had been released into Shinto Teito.

Recon 2 blinked violently for a moment as the memories of Recon 3 slammed into his mind. He winced as he remembered the violent end. Getting a sword slammed through ones throat was never a very pleasant experience.

Recon 1 looked exhausted from the memories of Recon 3. He wouldn't last very much longer. Unlike the real Naruto they didn't regenerate chakra. Simply existing used up chakra and they'd have to burn through whatever chakra they had left pretty quickly to keep up with a powerful Sekirei like the one outside.

Recon 2 quickly moved towards the pods and began to examine them for anything that could be of use to Naruto. The door slide closed softly behind him. The pods themselves didn't look like they were going divest any clues, and he couldn't take back any biological samples, not that they had anyone to analyze them.

Although he didn't expect anything different a quick look told him that they were all empty, and had been for years.

He quickly jumped up to the second inner most terrace and looked closely at the large incubation pod. This too was empty, and whatever had been inside was long gone. There wasn't anything to be gained from this either.

Recon 2 grumbled slightly as he turned around and glanced quickly around the room. The room was beautiful, that was true, and it was quite possibly the point of origin of the Sekirei but unfortunately it didn't really hold anything of value.

Recon 2 looked down at a small engraved marking on one the pods and sighed. He brushed a hand through his hair and quickly tried to think of what to do next. A couple of quick sets of memories from his two clones told him that the corridor was circular. There were some rooms off the side but the doors that were unlocked lead to empty rooms and the others were locked with no visible way of gaining entry. There weren't any terminals like the one outside. The identification they went through to open the outside door must have dictated what they did and didn't have access to.

Force was the only option he had available that could get him into those rooms. However it would reveal himself to the Sekirei outside.

As if thinking about her was the trigger another set of memories slammed into him. Recon 1 had gotten a sword through the eye. That was probably an even worse way to die than the throat. Especially since he had to remember that.

He hoped that the Sekirei would leave now that she was done fighting but he wasn't going to rely on luck anymore, not after the shit he's been forced to deal with these past few days.

Recon 2 blinked for a moment as he finally realized what it was he was staring at. It was a name plate.

And there were two very disturbing things about said name plate. Recon 2 quickly knelt down and traced his finger over the engravings in the pod. His heart beat began to thud in his chest as his eyes widened in horror.

"No, no no no no, this can't be." Recon 2 muttered as he stared at the name that glared up at him. One of the aspects of the name plate that bothered Recon 2 a lot was the script it was in, the language. It was not a language of this world.

It was a language from his home land, from the Elemental Nations. While the Elemental Nations and Japan spoke the same language, it was written differently. This however was written in the same manner as his home.

And the second aspect of the name plate that bothered him a lot was the name itself. This pod belonged to Mutsu. He could see it right there, plain as day.

Mutsu, Mutsu Nara.

"No way." Recon 2 quickly stood up. "This has to be a coincidence; Nara is a common last name after all. There's even a Nara shrine in Japan."

Recon 2 checked another pod. "Matsu… is related to Jiraiya…?" Well that explained a lot of things if it was true.

He quickly checked the next one over. "Kazehana. Never heard of this Sekirei but she's related to Gaara and Temari. Same family name anyways."

Recon 2 quickly made his way around to each of the pods, tracing the name plates and memorized what was written there. While some names he didn't recognize, most of them he did.

"Karasuba Ringo."

"Mutsu Nara."

"Homura Uchiha."

"Akitsu Yuki."

"Yume Hyuga."

"Tsukiumi Senju."

"Heh, Uzume-chan is related to Konan."

"Hikari Hatake."

"Hibiki Hatake."

"Kochou Yamanaka."

"Musubi Maito..." Well THAT explained a lot.

"Benitsubasa Haruno."

"Kusano Senju."

There were many others as well. There were some names that he didn't recognize such as Blanc, Noire, Neptune and Vert, they were all from some 'Heart' clan, but there were too many he did for it to be simple coincidence, there had to be another explanation. There was something very wrong here and it was starting to make Recon 2 very nervous. This just didn't seem possible. The names weren't all from Konoha either. He saw many names from other villages as well. Just what the hell was going on here?

It was like this structure had been brought here straight from the Elemental Nations.

The more Recon 2 thought about it, the more uneasy he became. The sealing array inside Akitsu suddenly came to mind. It was far more complex than anything he had ever seen before, but it was still based on the same sealing techniques and language he used. Unless some other world, dimension, or whatever, perfectly duplicated the sealing techniques used from the Elemental Nations, there was only a single explanation, outside of sheer coincidence, no matter how impossible it may seem to be.

Still, something didn't make sense. The members of some of those families and clans had DIED before they had any children. Their lineages should have died out. Maybe it was an alternate Elemental Nations? Unless there was someone like Orochimaru running around messing with the dead there shouldn't be any way for some of these people to HAVE descendants.

Recon 2's eyes widened as he realized there was one chamber he had yet to inspect. With a quick burst of speed Recon 2 appeared back in the center of the room. He quickly circled the large incubation chamber until he came to the name engraved upon there as well.

His eyes widened even further in surprise at the name he found there. It wasn't possible but… the similarities were just uncanny.

Miya, Miya Uzuki.

"Oh? So there was one more running around in here." A voice interrupted Recon 2 from his musings. He slowly turned to face the Sekirei that had beaten his two companions outside. She was even worse than before, how he hadn't noticed from the memories he would never guess but she was now missing everything but her shoes.

"Do the clothing of you Sekirei spontaneously combust when you get hit in combat or something?" Recon 2 asked curiously.

The Sekirei smirked as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts, "Minaka has some odd ideas when it comes to clothing. They don't 'spontaneously combust' but they are designed to fall apart easily." The Sekirei unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Recon 2, heedless of her nudity.

"Ah, that explains a few things." Recon 2 said sagely. He was still dazed by the knowledge he had just received. He wasn't in the mood for a fight however. He had obtained everything he could from this place. "So, which one was yours?" Recon 2 asked as he waved his hand towards the incubation pods.

Recon 2 noticed her eyes flicker towards a particular pod for a moment before they returned to his face, "What is it to you? Perhaps if you defeat me I'll tell you."

Recon 2 just shook his head, "I have accomplished my purpose in coming here. I have no reason to fight you Karasuba Ringo." Recon 2 replied. He had noticed which pod her eyes had rested on.

"What did you just call me?" Karasuba growled. She did not look amused.

"Karasuba Ringo." Recon 2 repeated as he pointed to one of the nearby pods. "That's the one you looked at right. That's your pod isn't it? Your name is right there on it, engraved into it. Karasuba Ringo."

Karasuba seemed to fight with herself for a moment as she glared up at Recon 2. A wide range of emotions flickered across her eyes. Too fast for the clone to pick any one emotion out from another.

After a couple moments the emotions were gone and a strange, almost haunted, expression crossed Karasuba's face. With a flick of her wrist Karasuba sheathed her sword and turned her back to Recon 2. "You're lucky, I have… had my fill of fighting for today." She said quietly and quickly left the chamber.

Recon 2 almost went after her. She sounded almost sad. There had been a powerful, yet almost indecipherable, emotion in her eyes just before she had turned away. Recon 2 had no idea what she had gone through but hearing her last name had apparently had a serious effect on her.

"The boss can figure this shit out, my head is starting to hurt." Recon 2 muttered as he massaged the sides of his head. After one last glance around the room he dispelled himself.

**x~X~x**

Naruto was pensive as he watched Yume and Miya spar outside. His eyes were following their movements but his mind was a mile away as he thought back to the information his clones at Kamikura Island had gathered for him.

He was now able to put a face and name to the individual that had taken his clone out at the shipyards: Karasuba Ringo. She was as good as her namesake indicated she would be, and very similar in personality as well.

Ameyuri Ringo had been one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and the only female of the group. While he had never known her personally from what he had read of her she was known to take joy in battles. She also never missed her prey and would exterminate all her enemies without question even going so far as to pursue any that fled. She loved challenges and would go out of her way to fight those that stood their ground and could match her skills. She hated the weak.

Despite the successful infiltration of Kamikura Island he hadn't gained any sort of tactical edge over MBI. It was mostly just food for thought information. He didn't know how to proceed with the information he had, or if he should even bother. Did it matter if the Sekirei knew they had a family name? Did it matter that their family name resembled people he had been familiar with? Maybe it did, maybe it didn't.

Miya Uzuki. That was a name that still rang in his mind. His attention refocused back on the spar as Yume expertly dodged every strike Miya sent her way. The two of them moved with a grace that would make any Shinobi proud. It looked more like an intricate dance between two graceful individuals than a spar. Yume had requested the morning workout to see where Musubi's body was at compared to her old one and to see how dull her skills had become over the years.

From Naruto's perspective her skills hadn't dulled but Musubi's body was slightly lacking. From the tight school gym outfit that Yume had donned he could see at times that she tried to make her body move or react according to instincts ingrained in her memories but the body wouldn't respond the way she desired. When he compared Musubi's body to the mental representation that he had seen of Yume in his mind a few days prior he could see where the deficiencies laid. Musubi was very much a fist type Sekirei where Yume seemed to be well-rounded and focused more on exquisite footwork to get in close and end it with quick precise strikes.

In other words Musubi had been sheer brute power where Yume was more precise. Sort of like the difference between Strong Fist and Gentle Fist fighting styles. It gave more credence to Yume's namesake, the Hyuga. While she didn't have the Byakugan she did have one of the more unique set of eyes he had seen.

Naruto shifted slightly and brought his hand up to cup his chin and shifted his gaze back to Miya.

Now that he thought about it she did actually resemble his old ANBU Yugao Uzuki. They both had long beautiful purple hair and piercing brown eyes. Both were incredibly skilled with a sword and both could erase their presence so effortlessly that no one was able to detect them, no matter how good of a sensor they were.

And both had unfortunately lost their loved one before they could really truly enjoy the time spent together.

There were differences but the similarities far out-numbered them.

Naruto sighed as he watched the two powerful people dance around each other. It finally boiled down to that Naruto just didn't know enough about how Sekirei came to be here for the names to matter. One could find similarities between anything if they looked hard enough.

In this case there were two possible scenarios that Naruto could think of. The first was that the Sekirei coincidentally had family names that resembled families he knew. The second was that the Sekirei WERE from the same families as the people he knew. Both were incredibly improbable situations, but without more information both were equally probable. As a result Naruto was left with no option but to shelve that knowledge for now.

If he wanted more information he was going to have to find some way to go digging through the computers at MBI. That was something he didn't have the technical expertise to do at the moment. Nor did he know of anyone that could. He would get around to dealing with that when he wasn't so focused on his other goals.

Naruto let his thoughts drift away from the spar again as his thoughts focused on yesterday's events. He had spent the prior evening relaxing and aside from the memories his clones had returned after getting dispelled it had been a rather calm night. There were some amusing antics between Minato and his Sekirei however. Kaho was extremely clingy apparently and still held resentment towards Matsu.

The fight that broke out at dinner time almost escalated into a full scale brawl before Miya laid them both out with her ladle.

Despite all that however Matsu had finally gotten around to getting her wings from Minato. She had done it the normal route through a standard kiss but Naruto couldn't help but smile as he heard Miya accost the two after Matsu had tried to take it one step further.

This morning he had awoken to find both Yume and Akitsu attached to him inside his futon. They had crawled over to his from their own bedding during the night, again. Naruto wasn't sure if that was a trait that Yume and Akitsu had picked up from Musubi or if it was inherently built into all Sekirei.

That had been followed by a rather uneventful morning as they got up and ready for the day. Breakfast had been a simple affair which was followed by Yume requesting to spar with Miya. This brought him back to the present. From the look of things Miya held every advantage over Yume, which was fairly impressive when one considered the speeds they moved at and the bulky kimono that Miya wore today.

As for Akitsu, she hadn't moved from her position at his side since the moment he had sat down to watch. She was her usual quiet self, simply enjoying being at his side.

Minato and Kaho weren't too far to the side watching the two with mouths agape. Naruto doubted Minato could even see half the moves the two powerful individuals did. Kaho was probably just now realizing how badly outclassed she was.

Then it was over. Naruto doubted anyone but he and the two combatants noticed it but there were signs that one gave to indicate you were done in situations such as this. The more powerful the individuals sparing, the more subtle the signs were since any large signs would create an opening the other would exploit before they realized the spar was over.

"I believe that's enough for today Yume-san." Miya said as she stepped back and let her bokken rest at her side.

"Yes, thank you Miya-san." Yume replied respectfully, "It seems I am a little out of practice."

Miya just smiled at the Sekirei, "I'm sure you'll be fine. Can I ask you to water the garden for me? I need to go buy some things."

"Sure Miya-san." Yume replied cheerfully as she waved at the landlady.

Naruto watched as Miya waved farewell and left. As she did so something else crossed Naruto's mind. Perhaps Miya Asama wasn't the same person as Miya Uzuki. It's not as if Miya is a unique name. True Miya Asama seems to possess the same prowess as a Sekirei but she felt completely different.

She felt more like a regular shinobi than she did a Sekirei. In fact if anything, despite the obvious difference in chakra types, she felt most similar to Hanabi.

Naruto groaned and held his head in his hands. Despite wanting to shelve this it still bothered him to no end. Questions, possibilities, suspicions, and denials all swirled around in his head. The possibility that these Sekirei could be somehow related to the shinobi of his world meant a lot to him on a personal, more emotional, level. It meant that in some form or another, life had gone on after Madara's death. With all the death, all the destruction, the Elemental Nations would have gone through a major time of hardship. With greatly reduced man power and the complete destruction of most of the agricultural assets and infrastructure there would have been wide spread famine, disease, and death afterwards.

"Are you alright Naruto-sama?" Akitsu asked as she looked over at her Ashikabi in concern.

"Ya, I'm fine, I just have a lot to think about." Naruto looked up and rubbed his forehead. Yume had already grabbed a hose and was watering a nearby garden. Naruto glanced over at the concerned Akitsu and eyed her forehead. "Let's head back up to our room. I want another look at the crest."

"As you wish Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she got up.

Naruto stood as well. "Yume, I'm going to take another look at Akitsu…" He started to call out but stopped as he noticed that Yume had wandered around the side of the house. He shrugged and was about to head inside when someone unexpected wandered into Izumo Inn.

He'd recognize that person anywhere, especially after the little fight he had with her at Kamikura Island.

Akitsu followed his gaze and stiffened. She knew who Karasuba was as well. Naruto could feel her ready herself for battle but he saw the hopelessness in her posture. It was a battle she didn't believe she could win.

"Well, it's a pleasure to see you again Karasuba." Naruto said politely as he stepped off the veranda and onto the grass.

Kaho's head whipped up and she stiffened when she saw Karasuba gracefully walk into the compound. Minato turned to his Sekirei and gave her a questioning look. Concern was written across his face.

Karasuba eyed Naruto up and down, a small smile graced her face, "Is it the real you this time or are you just a fake like the others?"

"Oh, I'm quite real this time. Are you here for another fight?" There was a light, friendly smile on his face but his posture bespoke of something else entirely.

"Ah, as much as I would like that this is more of a courtesy call." Karasuba said as she flashed Naruto a blood thirsty grin. "Perhaps we could schedule a time at a later date to have a real fight."

"We'll see. Maybe later." There was no doubt in his mind that Karasuba would have to be dealt with, permanently, at some point in the future. He just hoped it wasn't today. "Miya would be upset with me if I tore up her lawn again."

Karasuba looked around and then arched an eyebrow at the blonde shinobi. "It looks like it has already been torn up."

"That's Minato's fault, and he should be fixing it right?" Naruto said as he grinned at Minato. The teen suddenly felt a chill run down his spine that had nothing to do with Karasuba. "We wouldn't want to upset Miya now would we?"

"Yes, we wouldn't want to upset Miya now would we?" Karasuba mimicked Naruto with some amusement. Naruto got the distinct impression that Karasuba would more than love to rile up Miya.

"So what brings you here today?"

"I'm just here to see Muu-chan." Karasuba explained, "It's been awhile since I've seen her."

"Ah, so you haven't heard yet."

The smile left Karasuba's face, "Heard what?"

"Ah! Karasuba! It's been some time hasn't it?" Yume greeted her former subordinate as she walked towards them. The garden hose was now forgotten on the law.

Karasuba stared at Yume for a brief moment in confusion. It was as if she couldn't understand what she was seeing but then her eyes narrowed and another wicked grin creased her face as understanding flashed dawned on her. "Yume." Karasuba hissed softly. "Oh how I've wanted to see you."

Yume's face took on a serious look, "Now, now, Karasuba. We wouldn't want to upset Miya-sama by causing a scene here now would we?" There was a small smile on Yume's face but it didn't look gentle in the slightest.

"Maybe I do, I've wanted to see you for so long Yume." Karasuba reached for her sword only to find nothing. The sword had been left with her Ashikabi. "Now that I'm winged you're no longer stronger than me!"

"Damn, where did I leave the popcorn?" Naruto muttered mournfully as he looked around for the non-existent sustenance.

"Right here Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she procured a bag of popcorn from seemingly nowhere.

"Damn I love you Akitsu." Naruto said as he happily took the bag of popcorn heedless to the major blush that the normally stoic Sekirei now sported.

Yume gave him a reproving look before she turned her attention back to their guest. "Just being winged won't make you strong Karasuba. Only when one loves another and fights to protect the ones they love does true strength arise!"

Naruto agreed with Yume on that point. It was a lesson he had been taught by Haku many years ago. It was one that he had taken to heart. People could shatter the normal limits of human ability if it's to save the ones they love. Fighting for one self can make you powerful, but fighting for another allowed you to surpass power itself.

Karasuba took a single step towards Yume. She looked like a tigress that was about to pounce on her prey. "How about we put that to the test right here and now."

"It wouldn't be a fair fight, you don't have your sword Karasuba." Yume said as she eyed the empty air that Karasuba grasped at. "Besides, you're not the only one whose been winged since then."

Karasuba's eyes widened and her head whipped over to stare at Naruto. "You winged Yume? She didn't need to be winged! This is…" Her eyes narrowed and the grin returned in full force, "Oh this is even better."

What did she mean by that? Naruto frowned at the Sekirei. Naruto doubted Karasuba cared very much about love and happiness so that wouldn't be what she was referring to. Considering her personality it would have something to do with a Sekirei's power. He knew that most of said power was locked away until the Sekirei gained an Ashikabi and that engaging in Norito caused an even larger portion of said locked power to come out.

He would figure this out soon enough though, he fully intended to analyze Yume as he did Akitsu. He was originally going to do it for comparison purposes but now he had another reason.

Naruto shrugged and didn't let any of his thoughts bleed into his expression or words, "What can I say? I'm awesome." Let Karasuba think he took that as a compliment. "I'll be giving Akitsu her wings soon as well; you're free to tell MBI that, as well as the fact that I'll be removing their ability to track her. If they want to hunt me down for it they're welcome to try, I can't guarantee how much will be left of MBI after I'm through with them however." He said nonchalantly and tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Wherever Akitsu had gotten this popcorn from he didn't know but it was awesome.

Karasuba seemed to notice Akitsu standing behind Naruto for the first time since her arrival. A frown crossed her face as she glanced between Naruto, Yume and Akitsu. As battle hungry as she was even she knew when she was severely outclassed. She was confident she could take on any one of them, possibly even any two. But all three?

She straightened suddenly, the bloodlust suddenly gone and the pressure that she'd exuded disappeared. A small soft smile creased her face again. "It seems you're quite right Yume, it wouldn't be a fair fight without my sword. I do hope to see you again soon so I can properly greet your return." Karasuba turned and began to head out of the compound.

Yume straightened from her fighting stance that she had eased into. "Bye Karasuba! It was nice to see you again after so long." Yume said as she waved happily to her old comrade.

"See you later Karasuba Ringo." Naruto said as he waved as well.

He noticed her shoulders twitch but she didn't respond as she hurried from the area.

"Karasuba Ringo?" Yume asked curiously as she looked at Naruto.

"I infiltrated Kamikura Island the other day. It seems all Sekirei have last names." Naruto said with a small smile. He closed his eyes and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Why MBI didn't bother to inform the Sekirei of their family names I don't know."

"You infilitrated MBI's most secreted and guarded location? Kamikura Island?" Yume just sighed shook her head hopelessly, "Oh Naruto-kun…" For some reason she really didn't feel all that surprised. A thought suddenly occurred to her. She bit her lip and looked over Naruto with a pensive look on her face, "What's mine?" Yume asked. Despite her disapproval of his actions she wanted to know. This was the first time she'd ever heard of Sekirei having last names.

"Hyuga."

Yume's eyes widened in surprise, "But that's the same as…"

"Hanabi's, yes I know." Naruto finished for her. He opened his eyes and looked up into the sky and watched the clouds float gently away. "Akitsu's family name is Yuki." He heard the quiet clink of Akitsu's chains as she heard her name.

Yume thought about that for a moment before she shrugged and beamed a brilliant smile at Naruto. "Well it doesn't really matter. Once we get married and have kids I'll be an Uzumaki right?"

Naruto choked on his spit for a moment at the straightforward manner at which Yume had tossed that at him. In a sense she was right. This bond they shared, it was 'supposed' to be permanent and was far stronger than any marriage agreement could ever be. When he thought about the future, the possibility of kids with her was actually very likely. Not only her though but with Hanabi and Akitsu as well. It seemed Yume thought further ahead than he did.

Suddenly he had a vision of being swarmed by knee high snot nosed kids like Konohamaru.

It wasn't an unpleasant vision.

"Ah, kids, I like that." Akitsu murmured her agreement.

Ya, he was going to be rather busy a few years from now.

"Ahem, anyways." Naruto coughed and cleared his throat, "We can discuss more about that later. Let's head on inside, I want to analyze Akitsu's seal some more. I'll want to have a look at you as well Yume, more for comparison purposes."

"Yes Naruto-sama/kun." Yume and Akitsu said at the same time. The three of them turned and headed back into the Inn.

Back on the veranda Kaho was frantically trying to revive her Ashikabi. Minato had mercifully blacked out early and had been spared the more extreme pressure of being caught between Naruto's vigor, Karasuba's killing intent and Yume's battle presence.

**x~X~x**

The air grew thick and heavy as two of the strongest forces in Shinto Teito approach each other.

Karasuba stared at Miya with lidded eyes and a soft smile on her face, "Oh?" Was all she said as she noticed Miya.

The look Miya returned was incredible. If looks could kill she would be a pile of ash on the ground. It was a look Karasuba had only seen once since the days of the first disciplinary squad. It was the murderous look that the first head of the disciplinary squad had possessed, the one that both terrified and excited Karasuba at the same time.

The look that pathetic insect Takehito Asama had taken away.

As the two crossed paths Miya spoke in a tone that broke no argument and promised a lifetime of pain. "Just this once, I'll pretend not to notice you. I won't forgive you the next time you set foot in Izumo Inn." She whispered softly in a voice that could make even the Death God shiver.

Karasuba tilted her head back as she let the chilling words caress her mind. "Ah, you're really good. The same as always, so scary…" Faster than lightning Karasuba whipped around, "**…IT EXCITES ME!**" She shouted as she reached for her sword.

At the same time Miya snapped around. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she reached into her bag and grabbed the best weapon she had.

Time stood still as the two stared at each other before Karasuba let out a short chuckle. "Awww, too bad! I don't have my long sword on me." Karasuba said as she straightened and held out her empty hands. She glanced at the menacing weapon that Miya was brandished.

A foot long radish.

"Do you plan to fight me with that?" Karasuba questioned with obvious amusement.

Miya looked embarrassed for half a second before she pointed the impromptu weapon at Karasuba, "Go away, it'll soil your ominous shape if it gets into your eye."

Karasuba gave Miya an even look as she bent down to pick up a fallen apple, "Che, still the same as always." Karasuba said as she held the apple up to her face. "No. 01 Miya." Miya glared at Karasuba. If anything she looked even angrier than before after being addressed like that. "Let's meet again, next time with our weapons." She said and bit into the apple as she turned away from Miya.

"Wait a minute!" Miya called out.

"Hmm?" Karasuba muttered with her mouth closed as she turned to look at Miya curiously.

Miya held her palm out to Karasuba, "That apple's price is 143 yen." She said as if she fully expected Karasuba to pay up.

"I have no money, MBI buys everything for me." Karasuba said in an apologetic tone that neither believed for an instant.

"That's fine." A new voice said as Naruto landed beside Miya. He deposited 143 yen into Miya's palm.

"I don't want your money Naruto-san." Miya stated firmly. She gave Naruto and even look and made no attempt to close her hand around the money to accept it.

Naruto grinned openly at Miya, "It's not my money. There's this convertible a ways away that has this rich looking guy and a rather fancy long sword sitting in the passenger seat. I just… borrowed some money from him."

Karasuba's face went dark as she stared at Naruto menacingly. While she cared nothing about Natsuo on a personal level if he were to be taken out she would be unfortunately taken out with him. She couldn't allow that to happen before defeating Yume and Miya.

Miya noticed the change in Karasuba's demeanour and gave Naruto a small smile, "In that case I shall accept this." She said as she pocketed the change Naruto had given her.

Naruto turned and regarded Karasuba, "You may wish to return to your ride. Who knows what kind of evil and wicked people would love to take advantage of a helpless person in an expensive car." Naruto said with a giant shit-eating grin.

Karasuba stared at the two of them for a moment before she turned and jumped away. "Naruto Uzumaki, you are quite the interesting individual." Karasuba said to herself as she hurried to her Ashikabi, "I may have to look into defeating you after I've settled my scores with Yume and Miya." That was an oddly comforting thought for her. Now she had three people she wanted to defeat.

But there was this nagging sensation in the back of her mind. How did he get the exact change to Miya from her Ashikabi's convertible so quickly?

**x~X~x**

The rest of the morning had been thankfully peaceful.

After sending a shadow clone to tail Karasuba he had spent the rest of morning entirely devoted to Akitsu and Yume and the analysis of the complex sealing array stored within their bodies. It ended up with Akitsu and Yume both breathless and spent after Naruto worked their bodies over. Naruto had come to one definitive conclusion. He was certain that even if he wasn't able to fix Akitsu she'd stay with him anyways because of the puddle of goo he left her in after each session.

The analysis he did on Yume helped him a great deal. There were some similarities between the two but Yume's sealing array was also far different. For starters Yume didn't have a focal point on the nape of her neck. After Musubi's crest had disappeared the sealing array there had disappeared as well. Yume's crest was actually on her abdomen and it was far different, and far more complex, than what Akitsu had.

He was making definite progress on the sealing array however. Naruto had discovered that despite the complexity there were different compartments and sections that could be added and removed. Each area that had an array was very complex, but the interconnection between them was very basic and straight forward. It wouldn't take very much to decouple certain sections. Of course decoupling the wrong area at the wrong time could cause irreparable harm but the ability was there.

It was also due to further analysis of the core itself that Naruto was able to figure out just where one of the connections between the Ashikabi and the Sekirei was. Thankfully the connection was on the outer edges and not deep within. It was actually at the connection point between the core and the rest of the sealing array. Within Yume he could sense a small matrix at the connection point that was infused with his chakra. This infusion of chakra powered the matrix and acted like a key for the core. It allowed the Sekirei to utilize more power with it than without.

In addition he also saw how the Norito worked. A Sekirei's power was normally controlled and contained. An unwinged Sekirei could only utilize ten percent of their power. A winged Sekirei could utilize thirty percent. However once a Norito is activated they had access to ALL their power. It was temporary however as it was similar to opening the Celestial Gates. An intense burst of power but it came at a cost. If unchecked it would eventually tear the Sekirei apart from the inside out. However the Sekirei had a built in safety mechanism that deactivate the Norito when it reached dangerous levels though, so it was much safer than the Celestial Gates in that regard.

Still with the reinforcement a Sekirei naturally enhances their body with they should be able to go awhile without having to worry about hurting themselves; certainly far longer than the Shinobi of his time unlocking the Celestial Gates.

That small sealing matrix explained how a Sekirei could be empowered by an Ashikabi and why only certain individuals could BECOME an Ashikabi. One needed chakra to spare to be able to empower a Sekirei. It came down to who had the ability to mould chakra and who didn't.

Naruto was also able to figure out why Karasuba said what she had about Yume. While his chakra existed at Yume's core it was leftover from the time when he had bonded Musubi. Yume naturally had access to over half of her power at any given time. Even if she hadn't been winged she still would have been far stronger than any winged Sekirei by a fair bit, stronger than most even with their Norito considering how much chakra Yume possessed.

His chakra was still required to unlock all of her power through a Norito but without it she was still capable of going toe-to-toe, power wise, with the majority of the competition no matter what they did.

There were a couple of other areas within Yume that also had pockets of his chakra powering certain aspects of the sealing array but he had yet to find the time to properly analyze those areas. It was a goal though because even if it didn't help him fix Akitsu, it may help him tear Kusano away from Mikogami and that was equally important to him.

He was slowly coming up with several options that could be used to save the small Sekirei.

One of the things that Naruto vowed to make sure of is how much of the sealing array Hanabi had inherited from Yashima. He knew she had inherited at least some of it due to the wings that appeared on her back whenever they kissed but he was unsure of just how much.

This was one of the goals he had hoped to accomplish here today.

Naruto wiped some non-existent sweat from his brow. The three of them were headed to Hanabi's room right now. Hopefully with this everyone would be caught up to speed with what is going on. It was also time for Naruto to come clean with a few things for his Sekirei. If they were going to spend forever and ever with him they needed to know a bit more about him.

As the approached the door Naruto breathed in deep and calmed his nerves. He hoped this wouldn't go over too badly. He gently knocked on the door and opened it slowly.

"Hey Hanabi, I'm coming in." Naruto said.

"Naruto-kun!" Hanabi greeted him cheerfully as he stepped into the room.

"Hi, I brought them with me today." Naruto said as he moved slowly across the room.

Hanabi looked at the door curiously as Yume and Akitsu followed in after Naruto. She had been preparing herself for this ever since her conversation with Chiho. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the two.

Yume looked exactly like Musubi, physically at least. However she was instantly capable of identifying two things that separated her from the young Sekirei. The first was her movements. When Musubi walked she was full of wasted energy and needless movements. Most normal people were. Yume had none; she walked with a grace that only came from experience. The second major difference was her eyes. They still shone with love and happiness, but there was no naivety within there. She lacked the innocence that Musubi possessed. This was someone that had seen the darker side of humanity but still maintained her cheerful and optimistic outlook on life.

Her eyes also had a pair of yin-yang symbols for an iris.

Akitsu was nothing like she had envisioned. Although the chains and revealing clothing may have something to do with the ruined image she once held. However Hanabi noticed that despite Akitsu's emotionless exterior there was a pain hidden within the depths of her eyes. She stayed close to Naruto's side and while Akitsu looked at her curiously her eyes always seemed to flick over to Naruto as if to reassure her that he was still there. Hanabi knew instantly why Naruto had picked her up. She was hurting deeply on the inside and Naruto wasn't one to let someone hurt when he had the ability to heal.

"Hello, you two must be Yume and Akitsu." Hanabi greeted them politely. She had already obtained a pretty good feel of the two from their eyes and posture.

Akitsu just nodded her head respectfully but Yume took a much more energetic approach, "Hello Hanabi!" Yume said cheerfully as she bounded over to Hanabi's side. Yume placed a hand on her chest and inhaled deeply. Hanabi stared down at the hand in curiosity for a moment. She looked at Naruto and quirked an eyebrow questioningly. He just shrugged and grinned, "Ah, I can feel your love for Naruto-kun. It's overflowing. You two must care very deeply for each other."

Hanabi smiled over at Naruto, "We've been together for a long time through just about everything. I doubt there's anything left out there capable of separating us."

Yume smiled down at Hanabi and clasped her hands together, "Ah that's so beautiful. I can't stand to see you stuck here. Why don't you get MBI to treat your arms? They could have them healed in two days." Yume asked in concern as she eyed the bandages around Hanabi's arms and hands.

"Ah that's a little complicated." Naruto said as he stood beside Yume at Hanabi's bedside. "And it involves a story I believe the two of you should be aware of."

"Are you sure about this Naruto-kun?" Hanabi asked as she looked at her fiancée with worry in her eyes.

"They need to know. If they are to be with me forever and ever as they put it they need to know a little bit about what we are capable of." Naruto explained. He didn't like this, he knew wasn't sure if the two would approve or not but now that Musubi was gone it was a secret that no longer needed to be kept. In fact it was one that needed to be told if Yume and Akitsu were going to be of any use to Naruto when he confronted the other major players of this Sekirei Plan.

Naruto had absolutely no desire to play by the rules. To follow the rules was to play on even ground with the opponents. That was unacceptable. A shinobi did not play on even ground. They always tried their best to tip the scales in their favor.

"What is this?" Yume asked curiously.

Naruto sighed and sat down on a stool beside Hanabi's bed. He brushed a hand through his hair as he collected his thoughts, "You're right Yume, words can't really describe how much I love Hanabi. However sometimes worse things can be done in the name of love than by any other emotion. You two are probably aware that Hanabi is a Sekirei." The two nodded, "Well she wasn't always a Sekirei. In fact she wasn't a Sekirei until just a short while ago. I turned her into one."

"I don't see how that's a problem." Yume asked in confusion, "That's a happy thing, now the two of you are bound by something greater than words."

Naruto grimaced, "It's not that I turned Hanabi into a Sekirei that is bad, it's 'how'. No. 84 Yashima, I tore out her Sekirei core, stripped it of Yashmia's consciousness and gave it to Hanabi." The two stared at him in silence with wide eyes. They were unsure as to how to react to this. THAT was not what they had expected him to say. Naruto took another deep breath and continued, "Before me and Hanabi arrived in Shinto Teito she was able to use the same power that you Sekirei wield, just in a different fashion. An accident on the way here deprived her of that ability and robbed her of certain gifts she inherited from her father. Hanabi was nothing more than a normal civilian when Yashmia's Ashikabi ordered her to attack my fiancée. He even activated Yashima's Norito to ensure it was done. I arrived just before they succeeded in hurting Hanabi. It was my love of Hanabi that caused me to take Yashima's Sekirei core. In it I saw the potential to finally heal my love and restore her gifts. Looking back on it I know now that Yashima was just as much a victim as Hanabi. She was stuck with a cruel Ashikabi that saw her as nothing more than a tool. It was a horrible thing I did, but I did it out of love and…" Naruto let out a shuddering sigh, "Even knowing what I know now, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Why tell us this?" Akitsu asked. She was honestly curious although her expression didn't reveal it. "I will always stay at your side Naruto-sama, no matter what." To her anyone that tried to hurt Naurto-sama or his own deserved what they got. In her mind Yashima would have been taken out one way or another. So long as she lived she would defeat and, if necessary, kill to ensure that her Ashikabi stayed safe. "But I don't see why you would tell us this."

"Because this 'Sekirei Plan' is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better." Naruto gave his normally quiet Sekirei a sad smile. "Even now I'm planning on freeing a Sekirei from one of those cruel masters."

"Are you going to get another Sekirei?" Hanabi demanded as she frowned at her love. Despite what Chiho had said it was still hard to accept more women in Naruto's life so soon.

Naruto turned and smiled sadly over at Hanabi. "No, it's not for me. I know who her true Ashikabi is. It's Minato. He and I talked a bit afterwards and he mentioned how Kusano had reached out to him from a distance to draw him to her. That's her real Ashikabi. Unfortunately she was taken from him and forcefully winged by another. I intend to break that bond she currently has so she can be reunited with her true Ashikabi. This bond a Sekirei have with their Ashikabi is nearly absolute, they're forced to accept and love their master even if they never wanted to. I can't, I won't, allow that to happen."

Naruto was hit from behind by two soft mounds. A pair of arms circled around him as Yume placed her head on his shoulder. "Naruto-kun! I can feel your love and your desire! Your conviction and desire to help the other little birds is amazing." Yume said happily as she hugged Naruto hard. "While I can't say what happened with Yashima is right or wrong I do know that your heart is in the right place. Just call on me and I'll gladly lend all my might to free this bird and guide her to her rightful Ashikabi!"

"Ah, yes, I will help as well." Akitsu added her agreement. She would stand and fight for her Ashikabi no matter what, even if he planned to storm the gates of MBI itself.

Hanabi grinned at Naruto, "Well, I don't think you have to worry about them accepting you."

"Thank you." Naruto said as he relaxed into Yume's embrace. Suddenly a thought struck him, "Oh, Hanabi, I discovered something yesterday. I'm not sure what to make of it."

Hanabi tilted her head and looked at him curiously, "Oh?"

"Yes, it seems most of the Sekirei have family names, and most of the names are similar to families we knew back in the Elemental Nations. I don't know what that means, it could be coincidence but I don't know."

Hanabi eyed Yume and Akitsu, "Do you know theirs?"

Naruto nodded, "Akitsu's family name is Yuki, which is the same family name as Haku's clan. And this woman pressing her breasts into me is Yume Hyuga."

Hanabi jerked at that name, "What?" She couldn't believe her ears, Hyuga? Her first instinct was to assume that she was some long lost relative but then logic kicked in and things didn't exactly fit together.

"Yes, according to Naruto you and I may be related." Yume said cheerfully. Hanabi wasn't quite so certain that she wanted to be cheerful about this. She had been the last Hyuga alive during her time in the Elemental Nations. The others had all been killed; there shouldn't be any possible way for Yume to be related to her.

Of course a lot of 'impossible' things had been made possible during her life time.

"I don't know if it's coincidence or not. I know all but one Sekirei was raised in an incubation chamber instead of a womb."

"That would be No. 01, Miya." Yume said.

"Our land lady?" Naruto asked for clarification. He had suspected that Miya Asama had once been an Uzuki but there had been so many doubts and questions whirling around in his head he hadn't been entirely sure.

"Yes."

"So Miya Asama used to be Miya Uzuki." Naruto said softly as he closed his eyes.

Hanabi's eyes widened and she stared at her love in surprise, "Uzuki! Could she be…?" Hanabi trailed off, she was almost afraid to ask.

Naruto nodded his head and rubbed it gently with the side of his hand, "Yeah, there are a lot of similarities. It's definitely not outside the realm of possibility. Ugh this is making my head hurt."

"Don't think too hard, I'll do that for you. Just tell me everything you know and I'll work it out." Hanabi said hurriedly. She really wanted to know more about this so she could work through it. The thought that her former sensei may have had family of some kind was a comforting thought for her.

Plus she was better at working through these things than Naruto was, especially since he was currently juggling so many tasks. With her stuck in the Hospital all she had was time and giving her something to do would help her feel useful. "What others are there?"

Naruto went through the list of names he found in that room. Of the 108 chambers he had discovered, eighty-three of them had names he was familiar with. They were names he remembered from the Elemental Nations, although only about half of those he recognized were from Konoha.

Hanabi frowned after Naruto finished going over the list of names. She looked at Naruto worriedly, "That's too many similar names for it to be coincidence."

"That's what I thought but it could be..."

Hanabi shook her head, "No, it's not. Let me think it through some more. If it were just a random collection of civilian family names from our land with a smattering of shinobi ones mixed in, sure I could accept coincidence, but those family names are all from prominent or successful shinobi families and clans. Most of the civilian families in that list aren't exceptions since they all produced exceptional shinobi like Sakura and Tenten. Leave this with me and I'll figure it out."

"Thanks Hanabi, that's one less thing I have to worry about." Naruto said with relief as he gave her a grateful smile.

Naruto was glad that Hanabi had decided to take on worrying about that problem. Between fixing Akitsu, dealing with Hayato and trying to pry information from MBI all while keeping an eye out for Hanabi's attackers he had a lot on his plate to deal with.

Thinking about Akitsu's seal brought a couple more thoughts to the forefront. He turned to Akitsu and beckoned her to his side. Yume let go as Naruto stood. "Hey Hanabi could you take a look at Akitsu for me?" Naruto asked as he guided Akitsu to the edge of Hanabi's Hospital bed.

"With my bloodline?"

Naruto nodded as he began to mould his chakra into Akitsu. "Yes, I want to know what you see. I know what I can feel but you may be able to see some things that I miss."

"Alright." Hanabi said as she concentrated, "**Byakugan!**" The veins around and within her eyes bulged as she activated her bloodline.

Yume appeared visibly startled at the sudden change in Hanabi's appearance and even Akitsu seemed to be surprised, although she hid all external signs of it.

"What happened to your eyes Hanabi?" Yume asked curiously as she recovered from her surprise.

Hanabi gave Naruto a questioning look and he nodded, "They're part of my bloodline, part of the Hyuga bloodline. I pump chakra, the same type of energy you Sekirei use, into my eyes to activate the ability. It allows me to see everything in a 360 degree view around me as well as the ability to see within people and through walls. With my eyes activated I can, at will, see anything and everything within a ten mile radius of this spot." Hanabi explained to the two Sekirei. It was difficult in a city setting but she could see that far away. The Byakugan was interesting in the way that it showed things. The more barriers in the way, the fuzzier the image became. It also wasn't automatic; she had to consciously decide to see through what it was she wanted to see through. There was also a limit in thickness. If something was 'too' thick a Hyuga couldn't see through it although it differed from Hyuga to Hyuga. For her she couldn't see through anything that was thicker than two meters. Density also played a role but it was a minor one. Even the densest material in the Elemental Nations had only reduced her ability to see through it by twenty percent.

"Wow, that's amazing. Such a useful ability."

"Yes, and it isn't even attached to her Sekirei powers either. In this case her eyes can see the energy within Akitsu's body, specifically hers and mine which means I'm hoping she can see the sealing array." Naruto said as well as he manipulated his chakra within Akitsu, "What do you see in Akitsu?"

Hanabi focused on Akitsu and hissed, "What the hell is that! I've never seen a seal like that before, it's woven throughout every part of her mind!" Hanabi spat out in disgust. It was one of the most horrible things she'd ever seen in her life. There wasn't a single aspect of Akitsu's mind that wasn't being affected by the sealing array in some form or another. "It's even woven into her memories. With the right application of chakra you could probably completely destroy her memories, or create an entire set of fake ones."

That bit came as a surprise to Naruto. He knew that the seal was woven throughout her mind but he hadn't been aware of just how many sections it connected with. He knew the major portions of the brain, and that stabbing anywhere pretty much guaranteed a kill but he wasn't an expert, Hanabi knew far more about the various parts of the brain than he did.

"I didn't know about the memory portion of it. That's worrisome and all the more reason to fix her. If I can do so I can connect her to Kurama and completely deny all access to her from external sources. She'd be safe so long as I lived." Naruto said, "Regardless of what it's capable of its part of her and it'd take me too long to break it down and give her complete control over her power without fear of external manipulation."

Naruto stopped channeling his chakra into Akitsu and pulled his hands away. At least he knew for certain that Hanabi would be able to help him.

"What did she mean by fake memories?" Yume asked cautiously. She had worked her way around to Naruto's side and gave him a worried look. Her fists were clenched at her sides.

"The sealing array within you Sekirei is complex, its complex beyond imagining. It's a work of art, beautiful, amazing, and utterly evil." Naruto explained, "Every Sekirei has an imprint on their bond, the physical location is on their crest. That imprint is designed to send and receive signals from an external source. Various things can be done depending on the signal sent. The only one I've seen so far is the signal to deactivate a Sekirei if they've taken too much damage. However it's theoretically possible for 'any' signal to be sent. Considering how interwoven the sealing array is within the Sekirei, the sky is the limit. Anything from memory adjustments to severe physical changes such as changes in height, breast size, metabolism, even gender is possible. If a deactivation command can be sent a reactivation can be sent as well. Heck it may be possible to reverse the devotion infused by the seal and make the Sekirei despise and hate the person they're bound to instead of love and care. The sealing array can physical, emotionally and/or mentally alter any and every aspect of a Sekirei." Naruto sighed and sat back down again, "The sad truth is that right now while the Sekirei are relatively free to do what they want… They could very easily be turned into puppets. All it takes is someone with ill intentions gaining the knowledge and ability to manipulate the signals sent to the Sekirei and… it's over."

That did not sit well with any of the occupants of the room. Hanabi was having flash backs to their war in the Elemental Nations against Madara to stop the madman from dominating and controlling everyone in the world. This was very similar but on a smaller scale.

Yume was worried, "Does this 'sealing array' pass on to our descendants?" This wasn't something she had been informed of while part of the disciplinary squad. Maybe MBI didn't know the truth behind it all? If all her had work and effort to ensure that the little birds were able to spread their wings and find true love could be thwarted by a single malicious individual…

Naruto sighed deeply, "Yes, when I checked you two there was a complex sealing array built into your womb. It's more than likely that any children you have would inherit the seal in one form or another."

That wasn't what she wanted to hear, but what she had been afraid was the case. Yume was thinking of one thing in particular now, one aspect of the Sekirei Plan that Naruto did not know about. There was something that was supposed to allow their wielder to do whatever they wanted, to be granted any wish; something that could in fact terminate all Sekirei or set them free.

Something that could cause indiscriminate genocide on all Sekirei and their descendants: The Jinki.

"Nar…" She began.

"Naruto!" Hanabi barked but she didn't need to say anything. Naruto was already moving.

He wove his chakra through Hanabi's body the same way he had with Akitsu and Yume. Hanabi concentrated on herself as she stared at her own body. The two worked in tandem, Naruto felt and Hanabi watched, as the chakra worked its way through her body.

This was one of the things that Naruto had wanted to make sure of when he saw Hanabi next. How much of the sealing array Hanabi had inherited from Yashima?

The scanning process however alleviated much of their worries. Thankfully much of the sealing array was in shambles. There was nothing on the nape of her neck, nothing surrounding her womb and nothing on her forehead. There was a connection between the mind, the core, a crest similar to Yume's on her abdomen and the two areas of chakra absorption but beyond that everything else was ruined and inoperable. Even the crest on Hanabi's abdomen was more for show than anything else. It seems that beyond the bond, the core, and the crest, nothing else had transferred over.

This confused Naruto as it didn't explain how those wings erupted from Hanabi's back when they kissed. One would think that there was a semblance of a seal on the nape of her neck to facilitate the appearance of the wings but there wasn't. It meant that the physical manifestation of the wings themselves may not actually be connected to the crest but something else. Perhaps it was a physical manifestation of the unlocking of the core?

Still it did alleviate their worries somewhat.

Yume bit her lip and tried again, "Nar-."

"I can't see into my own head, how is it in there?" Hanabi asked.

Yume sighed; she wasn't going to get a word in edge wise while Naruto was concerned about Hanabi. She'd have to get him alone sometime soon to explain her worries. Provided she didn't forget. Thankfully it was still early in the S-Plan, the third stage hadn't started yet so there was still time to tell him.

"Not as bad as Akitsu or Yume. There are a few connections here and there but most of it is missing." Naruto said as he eased his chakra from Hanabi. "If I had to hazard a guess I'd say what little is, is there to form the bond between you and I."

Hanabi sighed with relief, "That's good, the last thing I want are the memories I have of the past getting changed."

"I don't think there's any worry of that. I guess the transfer from Yashima to you wasn't as perfect as I originally thought it was which turned out to be a blessing." Naruto said.

The chakra transfer array he had created should have been perfect, however it had not been created with the ability to transfer over entire complex three dimension sealing arrays in the process. Especially since his had only been two dimensional. Much would have been lost in the translation, even more since he had done some adjustments and purifications as the chakra rolled across the center of the scroll. The only aspects of the sealing array that would have transferred over perfectly were the ones directly connected and associated with the Sekirei Core since that came over as a whole piece. The bond and the crest were probably intricately tied in with the core itself while the rest of the sealing array was additions to it.

"Hey Hanabi." Naruto started as he looked at her beautiful face, "I'm planning on taking Akitsu and Yume to those hot springs in western Shinto Teito sometime soon, next week if Kurama recovers within the next couple days, to see about fixing Akitsu's problem. I figure you could use a break from the Hospital, would you like to join us?"

Hanabi's eyes flickered between the three of them. She could feel that Naruto would rather have her there than not, his love for her pulsed strongly within her. Yume's thoughts were written all over her face. The smiling eyes, large smile and welcoming posture were all the evidence she needed of that. Akitsu was as expressionless as always but her eyes showed no hint of annoyance or jealousy.

_I love Uzume-chan. If she loves me back, nothing else matters._

The words floated back to the front of Hanabi's mind. Naruto loved her; he seemed to love her more every day. She loved him back; she needed to be with him. A life without Naruto wasn't a life she wanted to live. If she was willing to die for him, willing to kill for him, should she not be willing to share for him?

"Sure, I could use a break from this place every now and then." Her arms were healing more quickly than the doctors thought they were. It was probably a side effect of having the chakra from the Sekirei Core added to her own. She'd be fully healed several days before the doctors thought she would be.

Besides, he had all those clones, so long as she always had the original she was still one up over the others.

* * *

**Author's Note:** For the record, I gave certain Sekirei their names not based on physical appearance but skills and a bit with personality. An example is that Matsu is a perverted brain type and Jiraiya's most valuable asset wasn't his Ninjutsu repertoire, but his information network and he was a shameless super-pervert. That sort of thing.

Also, before people piss all over Homura and his last name. It's based off his fire ability. Uchiha are the predominant fire users in the manga, Homura is a fire user, hence his last name. In addition he has a messed up body, kind of goes hand in hand with how messed up the Uchiha were in general. Homura isn't going to be popping out any Sharingan, ever, for any reason. His abilities will remain the same as the Sekirei manga. And no, he won't be getting Sasuke's old Sharingan.

Still, lots of food for thought, can't wait to see what sort of gears I've started turning in people's heads.

Yugao vs Miya – You won't see any resemblance if you compare pictures, but that's due to a difference in drawing style between Kishimoto and Sakurako. Specifically the hair styles and eye styles between the two art types are vastly different. I prefer Sakurako's to be honest ^_^.

And finally, yes, I'm deliberately blocking Yume's attempt to tell Naruto about the Jinki. He won't find out about them until the third stage starts which will be almost immediately after this arc. That's one of the scenes I've wanted to do since the start and one of the reasons I started to write this story, it will be a huge revelation.

**Jutsu List**

**Naruto:**

**Fūton: Renkūdan (**Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet**)**

**Suiton: Mizudeppō (**Water Release: Water Gun**)**

**Shunshin no Jutsu (**Body Flicker Technique**)**


	16. Chapter 15: The Web

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: I think one of the greatest joys I get out of posting my story on this website is reading the reviews; more specifically the reviews of those that are trying to piece everything together. It's very fascinating and kind of exciting. Getting feedback like how you want the next chapter, or enjoyed the current one, or even legitimate critic are fine and I like to read those as well but what I love the most are the theories people are putting together. There is a lot more to come. There is a massive spider web of plots and intrigues criss-crossing my story and I've only shown a few thus far.**

**Review Responses: **Hard to respond to the reviews, there wasn't a whole lot of things I really needed to correct and I can't really respond to most of them without giving away stuff that I want to keep secret for the time being.

Just keep guessing and working through those theories of yours. I'll be revealing more and more hints as the story unfolds that will help you put the pieces together. Some will be obvious slaps to the face others will be far, far more subtle.

**Chapter 15: The Web**

"… So it means that a new Sekirei might be responding to me…" Naruto heard Minato's voice float up from the small sphere he held in his hand. It was tiny, being only a few millimetres in diameter. It was a new seal he had created yesterday based on his analysis of the Sekirei sealing array, specifically the focal point in which the Sekirei crest sent and received signals.

It was also his first three dimensional seal. While Matsu had been sleeping in Minato's bed he had snuck into her little hidden room and planted a similar sphere in there. He had created an entirely seal based communication device. However this went beyond the standard one. First it was small, compact, and easily malleable into any shape or form. His seals were normally squiggled in a two dimension form across a surface. He was no longer restricted in that way and could imbed far more complex seals in smaller areas.

They were also easier to hide since they could now be hidden within an object, instead of being forced to reside on the surface.

In addition the communication device did more than just transmit sound. It transferred images as well. Floating gently above the orb was a hazy image of the room. Matsu was sitting in front of her computers with Minato just behind her. Kaho was at her master's side as always. The image wasn't perfect but Naruto had no doubt that he'd be able to fix that issue with a little time. He fully intended to have Mikogami's mansion rigged with dozens of these before the day of the assault.

He hadn't realized before yesterday just what type of Sekirei Matsu had been but based on her last name she was either extremely versatile in many areas, which she didn't look like, or she was a master of information, much like Jiraiya had been. The computers seemed to reinforce the latter.

If Matsu was going to bug and spy on his room, well, it was only fair if he did the same to her.

"Yes, that's right." Matsu replied.

"It's not polite to spy on people Naruto-kun." Yume said as she turned to look at him. She and Akitsu were sitting on either side of him. Despite her words she seemed just as intent on the images as he was.

"Hey, if she's allowed to spy on me I'm allowed to spy on her, it's all about equality." Naruto said that as if it was the most logical and acceptable reason ever.

Yume just laughed and went back to focusing on the image.

They watched as Matsu turned to look at Minato with a concerned look on her face. "By the way Minatan, the girl you saw in the dream… was it by any chance her?" She asked as she pointed a finger at the screen.

Thankfully Naruto had placed the device in a location that allowed them to see the image. With that many screens Naruto had opted to place the device in the place that allowed them to see the most, unfortunately that still left a few screens hidden.

"She's the only girl that matches the description that Minatan gave." Matsu said as she indicated towards the profile of a busty blonde Sekirei.

"Ah! Yes! That's her, that's her! She really was a Sekirei." Minato exclaimed as he pointed at the picture. A soft blush crossed his face as he realized just how beautiful she was, the dream had faded too much for him to remember details perfectly. However he became worried as Matsu pretty much collapsed in front of his eyes, "Hey… Matsu-san?"

"Of all the possible things, this is bad Minatan, this girl is really bad." Matsu looked up and gave her Ashikabi a deadpan look. She looked at Minato with pity, "She's the worst, Minatan could really be killed." Minato stiffened as a chill went down his spine, "No. 09, Tsukiumi. She is a Sekirei with water abilities. I would have no objection to having her powers with us but…" Matsu let out a long sigh.

"So-so what is it Matsu-san?" Minato was really getting paranoid with how long Matsu seemed to be dragging this on.

"She famous for hating Ashikabi's. If she has responded to Minatan, as her Ashikabi… Well it would really hurt her pride."

Fear gripped Minato as he envisioned himself being killed in a variety of horrible and painful ways, "Wha, wha, wha, wha, what shall we do? I'll be killed by her!" Minato quivered in fear as he held his hands to his mouth.

"Don't worry Minato-sama." Kaho said as she reached out and held Minato's hands gently. "It'll be alright, I believe in you, you can show her that not all Ashikabi are to be hated." Kaho had a gentle smile on her face as she gazed up into her Ashikabi's eyes.

Kaho's confidence rushed into Minato and washed away his fears. He stood up and a determined expression crossed his face. "You're right Kaho-chan! I will look for the girl from that dream and somehow I'll make her our friend. I will try my best."

"You might get killed." Matsu said.

The fear rushed back into Minato, "Don't say that, don't say that. Please don't say that."

Kaho held her smile and brought one of Minato's hands to her chest. "If you had a telepathic connection with her then you were meant to find her." Kaho said with conviction, "And if you words don't work I'll just poke her with my long stick until she agrees!" Kaho said as she reached down and picked up her naginata.

For Naruto that one statement brought so many wrong images to mind that it wasn't even funny. To make it worse they couldn't see her naginata from where the device was set up so it looked like Kaho was reaching for Minato.

A large sweat drop rolled down the back of Minato's head, "Kaho-chan…"

The door to the secret room swung open and Miya stepped in, "Everyone, have you finished with your secret meeting? Shall we eat lunch now?" She asked. Naruto couldn't help but admire her; she looked as radiant as always, even in the fuzzy image the device transmitted.

"Ah yes landlady!" Minato said as he quickly hurried out of the secret room.

After the three had left Miya paused at the door. She turned her head and looked directly at the device Naruto had planted in Matsu's room. She brought a hand up to her mouth and chuckled for a moment before she left.

A sweat drop rolled down the back of Naruto's head, "I swear by the Log that woman is omniscient. How does NOTHING get past her?"

"I'll take that as a compliment Naruto-san, will you be joining us today?" Miya asked as she poked her head into his room.

"You weren't supposed to hear that." Naruto said as another sweat drop rolled down the back of his head.

"I know, now will you be joining us for lunch?" Miya repeated her earlier question.

Naruto sighed clipped the device to an earring he had donned for that purpose. He wasn't normally one to wear jewellery but this was more of an earpiece disguised as jewellery.

"Sure, we'll be down in a moment Miya-chan." Naruto responded with a grin. He could use a good meal before he headed to Charlie Point.

Miya just shook her head helplessly in amusement and left.

**x~X~x**

"Interesting, you have a hidden base under this warehouse." Yume said as the four of them descended the ladder into the bowels of the warehouse.

"It's pretty standard." Hanabi said as she looked around the place. It had been renovated since the first time she had been here with Naruto.

Naruto had decided it was time that everyone knew his plans for Mikogami Hayato. He had picked Hanabi up from the Hospital and had brought her here. The Hospital didn't know she was gone, and they likely wouldn't since he fully intended to get her back there before they realized she was gone. They had left a shadow clone in her place, it would suffice for basic checks but the moment they tried to do something more serious it would become known that she was gone.

Naruto had gone down first, mostly so he could enjoy looking up the gowns, skirts and dresses of his Sekirei. They were well aware of his reasons for going first, his stare was more than proof enough of that, but he was their Ashikabi and he had already seen far more than the view he was currently getting.

Akitsu and Yume had quickly followed.

Hanabi had no problem getting down the ladder to the underground complex. As a Shinobi they were used to climbing without their hands so that they were free to use hand seals or wield weapons.

"This place was designed after many of the hideouts we had back in our home country." Hanabi continued as she walked over to the map on the table in the center of the room. There were some reports and documents stacked neatly on one side.

"It's nice and cool." Akitsu said as she admired the place as well. She disliked overly hot locations, unless of course the heat came from her Ashikabi.

The temperature down here was a few degrees cooler than above ground. It had to do with the climate control seals that Naruto had placed around the complex after it was built. They had been designed in the Elemental Nations to help keep the air cool and recycled properly without having any noticeable external vents.

There were others in the main room as well. The shadow clones only had so much chakra and while they could last awhile if they didn't expend it too quickly they would still run out eventually. All of the shadow clones aside from the Namikaze squad were currently there in the underground complex.

Those two were scheduled to have their chakra restored tomorrow. Naruto didn't want too many people coming and going from this location. Sakura, Ino and the Controller had never left and the ANBU squad had been moving incognito the entire time so no one was aware that they existed. Only the Yakuza squad and the Namikaze squad were visible to the general public. While they all used stealth to arrive in secret one could never be too careful.

Naruto fully planned to visit the Namikaze squad personally instead of having them return to the complex. The couple had been requested to set up a Hairaishin seal in their place so that Naruto could teleport there instantly.

As Naruto went to each of the clones to refresh their chakra supplies Hanabi poured over the documents that were sitting on the table.

One of the reports had a sketch of various individuals along with their arrival and departure times from Mikogami's mansion. Some of the sketches had names that were written beside them but others were blank. It had the words preliminary at the top so it was obviously a work in progress.

Hanabi gingerly moved the report to the side and glanced over the next one. This report had a list of names. These were individuals that were related to Mikogami Hayato. They were listed in order of value with close family and Sekirei being considered High Value Targets while extended family and acquaintances were considered Low Value Targets. There was a small amendment to the bottom where a few financial backers of Mikogami Hayato and his family were listed.

One of the names was already crossed out.

Hanabi moved this report to the side as well and continued on. The next was a rather large pile of financial statements. It seemed that despite this digital age that everyone lived in people still wanted physical copies. The statements here were all copies of the originals but it painted a rather interesting picture. Mikogami Hayato wasn't just wealthy, he was disgustingly so. He had never been for want of anything. From the moment he was born he had everything literally given to him on a gold platter.

"It looks like you want to do more than just save Kusano." Hanabi commented as she went through more documents.

Naruto looked over at Hanabi from behind the Sakura clone. He was just finishing up the last few clones. "Of course. I'm going to make an example out of him. Anyone that wishes to treat Sekirei as nothing more than pieces on a chess board or trophies to collect better wake up real fast and realize that it's not acceptable. Otherwise I'll make sure they 'never' wake up."

"It seems you've already started in on him." She commented as her eye scanned over the list of HVTs.

Naruto frowned and walked over to Hanabi's side. He was done restoring chakra to the clones; they would be good for several more days. As he scanned the same document that Hanabi was the Controller spoke up.

"We had no choice." He said, "When ANBU squad reported it to me yesterday I had to make the call to take him out. What we didn't realize before we started this operation is that the apartment complex that the Namikaze squad is staying at was owned by Mikogami's family. It was managed by a sharp eyed banker who realized that the money the Namikaze squad used to buy the apartment couldn't be traced. That would have made them suspicious of the Namikaze Squad once the Yakuza Squad started to bring attention to the underworld. We had to silence him before he could raise the alarm."

The ANBU Squad leader stepped forward, "I made sure to make it look natural. He had a known heart condition. We just sped it along and caused a premature heart attack. Everyone thinks he died of natural causes."

Naruto nodded his head, "Alright, that's acceptable. Keep an eye out however; if others start to get suspicious we may need to move our plans ahead of schedule. If worse comes to worse we'll take out all his Sekirei and keep him imprisoned until I've finalized the plan for freeing Kusano. I'd rather not move until everything is accounted for, I don't want any loose ends hanging around after this."

"Naruto-kun, you really intend to take Mikogami out of this Sekirei Plan, don't you?" Yume asked seriously as she approached the table.

"Yes." Naruto said as he went through a couple more documents. "All at once. Since we'll be attacking his home directly we'll need to take every Sekirei out at the same time. I don't want them to be able to organize themselves and reinforce each other. The bastard has a lot of Sekirei. I don't want interruptions or rescue attempts while trying to free Kusano."

Yume nodded grimly. "Just tell me where you want me and I'll defeat them." This went a little further than what she had originally envisioned for the S-Plan but large scale Sekirei battles were not inconceivable. She would put her all into this. She knew Naruto had no intention of holding back and letting the Sekirei he faced live so she needed to defeat as many as possible. The more she defeated, the less Naruto ended.

Besides she couldn't condone Mikogami Hayato's actions. She had fought to ensure that the little birds would find their Ashikabi and Mikogami robbed them of that ability just as surely as the foreign militaries had tried to.

"Ah, me as well." Akitsu said as she put in her two cents. She didn't want to be excluded from this.

Naruto gave them both a grateful smile, "Thanks, you'll both probably have multiple battles that day. I'll be dealing with Mutsu, Mikogami and the Sekirei at his mansion. You three will be dealing with the Sekirei outside." Naruto said as he included Hanabi in his plans. If he accepted Hanabi's time line on when he arms would be fully healed she should be ready to go by the time he had everything in place.

Naruto pulled out a document and placed it on the middle of the table. It was a timeline of events and deadlines. "I'm aiming for late next week. That's when we'll begin our strike. Hanabi said she'll be healed by then." Naruto turned to the ANBU Squad, "Your primary duty from here out will be to keep tabs on Mikogami's Sekirei. Bug their clothing, watch their movements, learn their habits. I want a list with all of their locations and possible routes here on the table the morning of the operation."

"It will be done." The ANBU Squad captain said as he saluted Naruto.

Naruto pulled out the document with the sketches. "This is from Namikaze Squad?" Naruto asked for confirmation.

The ANBU Squad captain nodded, "Yes, I picked this up from them before coming here. It's the list of everyone they've seen enter and leave the compound since they started their surveillance. I've added names to the few I knew."

Naruto nodded and went over the list. It was smart of them to use pictures instead of words. It was much easier, and less risky, to track someone down based on an appearance than a name. If all one had was a name you had to ask questions to get their appearance.

Naruto picked out four of the women in particular. They didn't keep the regular work hours, which meant they were live in maids, but they did leave on a regular basis to gather various things for Mikogami. The Yakuza Squad could tail their vehicle from the rooftops and take them out when they reached their destination.

He looked up at said clones, "These four, follow them and take them out. Try to avoid permanent damage but I want them removed. Make it look like a kidnapping or mugging with the Yakuza involved. That will draw the attention in that direction." The three shadow clones nodded their agreements. Naruto turned to the Sakura and Ino clones, "Be ready for the call. With the loss of that many maids they will need new hires."

"Of course Naruto-sama, whatever master requires I will provide." Ino said as she curtsied.

Hanabi frowned at them, "I'm going to borrow those two for a while." Hanabi said as she approached Sakura and Ino.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.

Hanabi turned and regarded Naruto with an exasperated look, "They may look female but they're still you. Their posture and movements are all wrong. I'll not only have them look and talk female, but walk and act it as well."

Naruto smiled at Hanabi, "Good, you're free to use and abuse them as you see fit until they're on par with your standards." Hanabi had been raised in a rich family, she knew how live in maids were supposed to walk, talk, and act. If anyone could mould those two into the perfect maids she could.

The two clones gave Naruto a worried look as Hanabi beckoned them to follow her. Naruto just waved them good bye as the two let themselves be carted off into one of the side rooms.

"So these are all different versions of you?" Yume asked as she gazed intently at the various clones. She had been particularly interested in the female versions.

"Yes, I can make solid copies of myself and transform them into any shape I desire. There are limits as I can't transform into anyone or anything too large or too small but it has its uses." Naruto answered. He couldn't transform into anything the size of a flea or an insect; small rodents were about the smallest he could cram his body into. Again he also couldn't expand himself to any more than twice his normal size. He didn't mind divulging his abilities to Akitsu and Yume, not when he was in the safe confines of his underground bunker where he was sure no one could listen in on him. He had Akitsu's undying loyalty and Yume wasn't a scatter brain like Musubi, she knew how to keep quiet when it was important.

Speaking of clones though, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted and two more shadow clones appeared to either side of him.

Naruto left the table and approached one of the walls. His hands flashed through a series of signs, "**Doton: Shichūka no Jutsu!**" He shouted as he slapped his hands against the wall. The ground rumbled slightly as a portion of the wall dissolved and disappeared. Behind the opening created a large area, approximately the same size as the room Naruto was currently in, hollowed out.

The technique was an earth version of a technique one of Naruto's old captains, Yamato, had used to build houses out of wood. Only instead of wood Naruto was simply expanding and creating rooms carved out of earth.

Naruto pumped some chakra into one of the storage seals on his body. A dozen scrolls appeared from thin air which Naruto quickly caught. He glanced back over at the two clones he had created. "These are for you two. I've created a new room for you to work on sealing." Naruto tossed eight of the scrolls to one of the clones. "You're in charge of working on three dimensional seals. The only one we have so far is pretty basic. Half of those are blank, the other half are seals I created years ago. Your task is to transform the old seals into a three dimensional version." The blank scrolls could be used for notes or cut up and formed into balls or other three-dimensional shapes as needed. Naruto turned to the last clone and tossed him the rest of the scrolls, "And as for you, it's time I completed the technique that got my father the 'Flee on Sight' label. You've got two weeks." It was probably too much to ask for it to be on time for the assault but Naruto didn't think he would need it for the attack anyways.

The two clones adjusted the scrolls they had hastily caught from the air headed into the new room that Naruto had created.

"What kind of technique is it?" Yume asked curiously. It must have been a pretty impressive ability if it caused someone to get that sort of label. Karasuba had that title as well. Compared to the majority of the players in this game she was on a level far above them and was blood-thirsty to boot.

Although that said Miya had a 'Do Not Anger' title because heaven help you if you did. There wasn't anywhere one 'could' flee to if one enraged Miya.

"It's a technique that lets you instantaneously teleport to a specific location." Naruto said as he returned to the table, "It doesn't 'sound' impressive, but in the hands of someone powerful it's a deadly tool. You become someone that can't be hit, and someone you can't get away from. There's no limitation on range. So long as a seal exists, you can teleport to it regardless of how far away you are. It can't be stopped because you're not actually moving, you're forcing time and space to move around you."

Yume could very easily see that how powerful the technique was. Karasuba, Herself, Miya, they were all extremely quick individuals but even they couldn't move between locations instantaneously. There were always tell-tale signs that they were about to move, it was just that they moved so fast no one was able to take advantage of it even if they did see the signs.

But to be able to avoid that entirely, to go from one place to another without any signs of movement beforehand? Even someone weak could become almost unstoppable in that situation and Naruto was anything but weak.

"You may want to prepare yourself when you meet Namikaze Squad." The ANBU Squad captain informed Naruto cautiously.

"Why is that?" He hoped there wasn't something seriously wrong with them. It would take time for any new clones he made to get mimic the personas those two had adopted perfectly.

"It's just that the two of them seem to be more…" The captain stopped for a moment as he looked for the right word to describe what he was trying to say, "Immersed in their roles. You're going to have some rather interesting memories when they finally dispel themselves."

Naruto opened his mouth to say there was nothing wrong with that before he snapped it shut. A queer look crossed his face, "Please tell me I'm not fucking myself." He asked, he really hoped that wasn't the case. That would be one very odd set of memories that he did NOT want to have.

Silence was the only response Naruto received.

With a groan Naruto covered his face with his hands and began to sob quietly. Yume just started to laugh and even Akitsu seemed to find the situation amusing.

**x~X~x**

"Na-They are late; it's almost time for dinner." Miya said in concern as she gazed out into the street. She rubbed her cheek with her free hand. There was a partly folded bed sheet around her left arm.

Homura just smiled and laughed as he caught her slip, "You're like a mother dutifully waiting for her husband and children to come home." He was dressed in a simple black shirt and black pants.

Miya quickly turned her head and smiled at Homura, "**It should be onee-chan. ** Right?" She said as a dark aura appeared around her and a demonic mask rose above her shoulder.

Kagari turned away shaking, "Ah, yes, it's onee-chan." He wasn't scared or anything, it was just better to not provoke Miya sometimes, or ever.

Miya turned back to the street and held a hand up to her chin, "Takehito-san is my husband, and from the view of those little birds I'm definitely an onee-chan." There was a gentle smile on her face.

Kagari just looked at her with a soft expression on his face and humored her for the moment. He could tell, even if she didn't want to admit it. She was getting a little soft on Naruto. He was getting away with things that would have anyone else chastised; they were small things so it was possible that Miya didn't even realize it.

"Anyways, your hands aren't working Kagari-san, please hurry up and finish folding the dried clothes." She said with her closed eyed smile look.

"Such a demanding landlady." Homura said lightly as he heeded the warning and began to fold the laundry again. Even if he did pay rent he still had to do house chores. Naruto was the only one that didn't have to.

Voices drifted into Izumo Inn and drew their attention to the entrance, "Eh? I hear talking, are they back?" Miya asked curiously as she waited patiently for the voices to draw near.

A few moments later a group of people walked in. Minato lead the back with Kaho and Tsukiumi to either side. He was drenched head to toe in water and was covered in dirt. He had a rather sheepish look on his face as Kaho and Tsukiumi pressed their breasts into either arm and glared at each other behind his back.

Following Minato was Seo. He raised a hand greeted Miya as he walked through the gate. Trailing behind him was his two Sekirei. They looked embarrassed by the actions of their Ashikabi and kept their eyes on the ground as they followed a few paces behind him.

"Minato, who is that woman?" Tsukiumi asked suspiciously. She had been rather upset to learn that she was Minato's third Sekirei. If he was hiding others behind her back…

"She is the Landlady of this place, Asama Miya-san." Minato answered.

"Sahashi-san, who is she?" Miya asked warningly, she was already aware of who the woman was but it was fun to tease Minato.

"Er, well, it's hard to-."

"I'm his wife!" Tsukiumi interrupted Minato.

Miya adopted a surprised expression and covered her mouth in feigned shock, "Wi, wi, Wife?!" Minato exclaimed as his eyes widened in shock and his pupils shrunk.

Tsukiumi blushed as she looked over at Minato with a petulant expression, "Why are you surprised? We're married, of course I am your wife."

"No you're not!" Kaho said as she grabbed Minato and buried his head between her breasts, "I was his first Sekirei! I'm his wife, you're his concubine!" Kaho declared hotly as she glared at Tsukiumi.

"I think not!" Tsukiumi growled as she approached Kaho. She reached between the other Sekirei's breasts and pulled Minato's head out and into her own. "I'M his wife! I declared it first!"

Kaho stepped forward and ground her forehead against Tsukiumi's. "That doesn't mean anything!" She shouted as she pressed her breasts against Tsukiumi's.

"Step back! I am his legal wife!" Tsukiumi glared at Kaho. Lightning shot between the two as they fought for dominance over the other.

Matsu poked her head out the door and began to chuckle ominously, "This is just like a soap opera!"

"Aren't you going to join? You're his Sekirei as well."

Matsu adjusted her glasses as she turned to look at Homura, "I don't have to join their soap opera, Matsu has her own way of rap, er, I mean jumping him." Matsu began to giggle perversely.

"Wow, what a way to go." A new voice said from above, "I mean if I had to die, being smothered to death by large busty beautiful women is definitely near the top of the list. Good job Minato! You've finally grown a pair of balls!"

There were some light thumps as Naruto jumped from the roof of Izumo Inn to the yard below. Hanabi, Akitsu and Yume landed soon afterwards.

"Minato!" Kaho and Tsukimui cried together as a limp Minato slid from their suffocating embrace. His face was blue and his eyes had rolled into the back of his head. He was still alive but whether he had passed out from lack of oxygen or from bliss it was hard to tell. There were two streams of blood trailing from his nose and there was a most perverted expression on his face.

"Oh my!" Miya said as she looked down at Minato worriedly. Minato was one of the few that actually paid rent; it wouldn't do to lose someone like him.

"Ah, Miya-chan, there is someone I wanted you to meet." Miya promptly forgot Minato and turned her attention towards Naruto, "I need to take her back to the Hospital before they realize she's gone but the two of you never got to formally meet." Naruto said as he brought his hand around behind Hanabi and gently pushed her forward. "This is my fiancée, Hanabi Hyuga-Uzumaki." He brought his other hand forward and pointed it towards Miya, "Hanabi, this is the Landlady of Izumo Inn, Miya Asama."

Hanabi bowed her head just enough to be respectful but not enough to show deference, "It's nice to meet you Miya-san, I've heard much about you." Hanabi said with all the grace and etiquette she had been raised with.

"Oh my, how polite, it's nice to meet you as well Hanabi-san. It's refreshing to speak with someone so respectful." Miya replied as she bowed her head the by the same amount.

"Just wait until you get to know her." Naruto murmured under his breath. "Ouch!" He yelled as Hanabi kicked him. He turned to glare at her but she had adopted the perfect mask of innocence.

Miya started to chuckle, "Oh I think we'll get along just fine Hanabi-san."

The two women shared identical smiles and suddenly everyone at Izumo Inn felt a sharp chill run down their spines.

"Ahem." Naruto coughed, he needed to get these two away from each other. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about leaving these two alone for any length of time, "Anyways me and Hanabi need to return to the Hospital before they realize she's missing. I just wanted to make a quick official introduction since she'll be moving in next week once her arms heal." There was a basic examination scheduled for tonight and Hanabi needed to be back for that.

"Will you be back for dinner? It's almost ready." Miya asked.

"Yes, just keep it warm for me." Hanabi kicked him again, Naruto held back a wince, "Please."

Miya brought a hand up to her mouth and laughed, "Don't be too late." She said in amusement.

Naruto grinned and waved farewell. As one Naruto and Hanabi turned and jumped onto the room of Izumo Maison. A moment later the two flashed across the rooftops perfectly in sync with one another.

Yume watched them leave with a gentle smile on her face. She brought her hands up and held them to her chest, "Those two are perfect for each other." Yume said softly, "I've never seen a love for another as strong as the love those two have for each other."

Akitsu shifted slightly, "A little jealous." She muttered.

Yume grinned and placed an arm around the ice Sekirei's shoulders, "Don't be, he loves us too. It's just that he and Hanabi-chan have known and loved each other for years." Yume said as she guided Akitsu into the house.

Miya gazed into the distance, the same direction that Naruto and Hanabi had disappeared. Yume was correct, Hanabi was good for Naruto. She had been worried earlier when she had seen how Musubi had been corrupted by Hanabi but now that she met her in person, it was a different story.

However Miya did notice something off, something that did concern her just a little. She hadn't noticed the last time she had met Hanabi, she had been too concerned about the girl's condition, but Hanabi had a Sekirei core inside her.

But Hanabi wasn't a Sekirei; at least she wasn't one of 'her' Sekirei. She couldn't feel any connection with her. This worried her as the other seven arrived over a thousand years ago and those Sekirei should all be long dead.

Was he right after all? Was the ninth pillar really here? He always was very secretive; nothing was ever revealed without cause.

Miya frowned and looked down at her unadorned hands. And why did the ring on Hanabi's finger bother her so much?

**x~X~x**

That night found Naruto once again walking through his mindscape. It had made marked improvements over the last time he had been in here. The sky still had a rusty tinge to it but the ground was once again covered in vibrant green grass.

He had managed to get Hanabi back to the Hospital before they had realized she was gone, which was good because that would have been a rather difficult thing to explain to the staff if they had seen her clone go up in a puff of smoke.

Naruto was honestly glad that she had decided to come with him to Charlie Point. The pointers and tips she had given the Ino and Sakura clones were invaluable and would serve them well. To be honest by the time she had finished with them he had troubling envisioning them as clones at all.

Although he had to talk quickly to explain to Hanabi why there was an unconscious civilian in one of the rooms. He didn't want her to think he had taken up kidnapping as a hobby. He was simply keeping here there for safe keeping until the operation was over and then she'd be returned to her home.

Provided everything went well they would be ready to execute the attack late the following week. At the rate at which his analysis and understanding of the sealing array was going he had estimated he would be able to nail down his plan to free Kusano by early next week. He had given himself an extra couple days of leeway in case of unexpected issues in the analysis.

Naruto looked to either side of him. The orbs floated calmly to either side of him. Hanabi's orb looked as healthy as always. The shards that used to be Musubi were gone now; all of them had been absorbed into Yume's bond with him. Yume's orb was no longer a pure white color either; there was a hint of pink in it now.

As he crested the next hill he reached his destination. There was Kurama. He was looking far better than he had before as well. It seemed he was well on his way to fully recovering.

Kurama snorted and opened his eyes, "Ah, Naruto." He said as he slowly sat up.

"How are you feeling old friend?" Naruto asked.

"Hmph, who do you take me for?" Kurama said with a grin as yawned widely, "I'm the great Kurama."

"That doesn't really answer my question."

Kurama stared at Naruto for a moment before he shrugged. It was a very odd sight, "Better, still feel a little sluggish at times" He replied, "But I'll be fine soon."

That was a relief to Naruto; he'd have his partner back in full force very soon, "Good, I'll be getting a new Sekirei soon. When I do I want you to forcefully take control of the imprint immediately. I don't want a repeat of last time."

Kurama snorted, that much was obvious; neither of them wanted a repeat of last time, "I'll handle it. Did you ever figure out what it was that attacked us?"

Naruto sighed and looked away, "Yes." Now that Kurama was almost fully recovered there really wasn't any reason to keep it from him, in fact it was probably best that he knew considering he was in charge of dealing with mental assaults.

"I'm not going to like the response am I?" Kurama asked suspiciously.

Naruto sighed, "It's hard to tell. I've learned several things while you've been unconscious. The Sekirei crest can be used to transmit and receive signals." He said as he sat down on the grass. This may take a while, he might as well get comfortable, "In this 'Sekirei Plan' Sekirei are supposed to fight each other until there's only one left standing. There are multiple ways of defeating a Sekirei. The way I've been doing it up till now is the most final. I've just been outright killing them. This causes the core to deactivate simply because the Sekirei is dead."

"Wait, deactivate the core?" Kurama questioned, he wasn't aware that the Sekirei core could even be deactivated.

Naruto nodded, "Yes, think of the core like a mechanism or machine. It creates a continuous supply of chakra but it can be forcefully deactivated by several means. I mentioned the first. The other way the core can be deactivated is through a command sent directly to the core from an external source."

Kurama's eyes darkened. He knew what Naruto was getting at; he now knew exactly what it was that he had been fending off.

"If a Sekirei takes too much physical damage, to preserve the 'physical' aspect of the core and the Sekirei's body itself a signal is sent to the core from an external location to forcefully shut the Sekirei down. The external source knows this because there is a constant communication between the Sekirei and that source belaying the state and condition of said Sekirei. When it breaks a threshold, the deactivation command is sent."

"And that's what it was that I fought off within your mind." Kurama finished as he glanced over at the silvery orb that hovered around him. "There's another one of these silvery orbs out there that the Sekirei are all connected to and it was that orb that sent out the deactivation command."

Naruto started and blinked in surprise, "Wait, what do you mean?"

Kurama fixed an even stare on his container, "Yume and Hanabi's bonds are set to send and receive signals from a specific source. While the imprint may be slightly different between each source the core of it must be the same for it to work correctly."

Naruto stared at the silvery orb. He and Kurama knew a little bit of what the orb could do, but they still had absolutely no idea 'what' it actually was. "So there is another one of those things out there?"

"That's what I said isn't it?"

"Then we definitely need to get Akitsu attuned to you instead of that other source." Naruto suddenly frowned as a thought occurred to him, "Wait, if that orb is attuned to Hanabi and Yume then does that not mean you're capable of monitoring their conditions?"

"Yes, I can to some degree. I can assure you however that I have no intention of sending any 'deactivation' commands." Kurama said as he tried to reassure Naruto, "I'm well aware that you humans always seem to get power ups when you're on the verge of death. Being taken to the brink always seems to allow your kind to surpass your normal limits."

That was a relief, "What else can you do?" Naruto asked curiously.

"At the moment not a whole lot. I don't know nearly as much about this as I wish I did." Kurama said regretfully. While the orb was a constant companion and a good source of amusement it was still very much an enigma. They were learning more and more about it every day but it was still slow going. "As much as this orb loves to hang around me we're still separate to some degree so I'm limited in comparison to the other sources."

"Alright, well take care, I need some sleep, there are a lot of preparations to make for next week." Naruto said as he slowly faded from the mindscape.

Kurama watched Naruto disappear and flopped on the ground tiredly. It was hard to maintain a mask in front of Naruto. The blonde was an expert on masks after all having worn one most of his life. Kurama looked up at the orb and sighed. He must be getting soft in his old age. If something like this had happened in this past he'd have raged uncontrollably.

"You just love absorbing my chakra don't you?"

**x~X~x**

Ayesha Altugle was humming a tune as she walked through the parking lot to her ride. She had gone to the nearby supermarket to pick up a few extra herbs and spices they had run out of unexpectedly. It was odd that they had, she was certain she had ordered enough the previous week to last the rest of the month. She would have to speak with the cooks about using too much spice in the meals.

No matter, she enjoyed these little sojourns. Her life was rather tedious so she liked to get out whenever she could. She wondered at times how things would have been different if she had decided to follow in her grandfather's footsteps and make homemade medicinal remedies. She had all the skills and knowledge required, just never the time. She still gathered unique herbs and spices that she came across.

Her life had changed quite drastically since that day she had been approached. Not that she minded. One life was as good as another in her eyes.

Still she couldn't complain too much. She worked for a wonderful, if interesting, man. Mikogami Hayato always treated her with kindness and respect although she did wonder if he saw her as anything more than a maid. More and more she found her jobs being done by those women he keeps bringing home.

Although the last one he brought home was absolutely adorable.

Ayesha stopped for a moment as she tilted her head and looked up into the sky. She placed a finger on her cheek and thought, "Hmm, what was her name again? Oh yes, Kuu-chan!"

She had spent a couple hours just cuddling with her the other day. The little girl had the most interesting abilities. She could make flowers and plants bloom instantly. Ayesha tried to play with her as often as she could, Kuu-chan always seemed so sad.

"Well, the sketch didn't do you any justice, aren't you a cute one." A voice broke her out of her reverie.

Ayesha looked at the three men gathered around her and blushed. She brought a hand up to her cheek and began to twist and turn, "Oh don't say that, I don't think I'm all that cute." Ayesha said in embarrassment.

"But you are, you're definitely very pretty."

"Oh, stop that, you're just teasing me." She said as she blushed even more. She had always considered herself rather plain.

She had bland wavy blonde hair that went down just past her shoulders and vibrant brown eyes. Her milky white skin and perfectly formed B-cup breasts were clothed in a mid-thigh length green dress with floral patterns that was held up by two thin white straps. The dress had sleeves that left the shoulders bare but covered her biceps. Her wrists were covered with a pair of green frilly wrist bands. The entire outfit was accentuated with a pair of six inch platforms and a cute light green maid's cap.

"But we're not, you're actually very pretty. Anyways we need you to come with us." The one in the middle said. He had short dark blue hair and piercing black eyes.

Ayesha blushed again, still denying the praise. "I dunno, I just met you and I need to get these herbs and spices back to my master." She replied, while the man in the middle was quite handsome she had been taught by her grandfather that she shouldn't follow strangers.

"We could always take them for you." The small wiry man spoke up.

Ayesha brought her hand to her mouth and started to smile with her eyes closed, "Oh thank you for the offer but I couldn't let you do that, I just met you I shouldn't burden you so much."

"I swear this is the strangest kidnapping ever." The large heavy set man grumbled as he face palmed.

Ayesha jumped and her eyes widened in surprise "Oh my! I'm being kidnapped! Oh dear, what should I do?"

The man in the middle sighed softly, "You could just come quietly with us. That would make things easier for us."

"But I can't be kidnapped without leaving a note behind or something…" Ayesha said in a panic. She started to look around frantically for something to write with.

"Here." The same man said as he handed her a pen and paper. If it got her to come with them quietly, why not? It's not like her employer would ever be able to find her.

"Oh how kind of you, thanks!" Ayesha said with a smile and accepted the items, " Let's see now, 'I have been kidnapped by three kind strangers, please help, oh and make sure that Kuu-chan has her little foxy-kun when she goes to sleep and make sure the cooks don't use too much spice in the meals for master, signed Ayesha Altugle.' And done." Ayesha said happily as she put the note in her bag of groceries.

"Are you ready to be kidnapped now?"

Ayesha nodded her head affirmatively "Yes, thank you for waiting so patiently." She replied as she placed the bag of groceries on the ground.

"Alright, come along." The man said as he started to lead Ayesha out of the parking lot.

"Right!" Ayesha said as she quickly caught up with the man, "So what do I need to do? I've never been kidnapped before. I'm afraid I might do something wrong."

The two quickly got lost in conversation as he began to explain to Ayesha her roles and duties as a kidnapped individual.

The heavy set man and the wiry one just shared identical incredulous looks. "What the hell just happened?" They asked at the same time.

**x~X~x**

"My first question: What are you thinking?" Sasha asked her husband as she entered the living room. Her blonde hair was wrapped up in a towel and a second one could be seen wrapped around her body.

Naruto had met with them yesterday to restore their chakra. He had been rather explicit in his command 'not' to have any more sex. He didn't want to have any weird memories when they dispelled and returned to him. He hadn't bought their excuse that they had just wanted to be more immersed in their identities.

Sex, he said, wasn't required for this operation.

They had modifications to their orders as well. They had been given a list of names and a description of several individuals that they were supposed to keep an eye on. It was basically a make work project now that the Yakuza Squad was moving in on their targets. Three of the four had already been dealt with. The last one had yet to leave the mansion; the disappearance of the other three had probably put them on high alert.

Arthain had been given a seal he could be used to get in contact with the ANBU Squad. If there were any signs of the Yakuza visiting Mikogami Hayato's mansion he was to notify them and the ANBU Squad would deal with the rest.

"My second question: What are we going to do about Naruto's orders?"

Arthain sighed as he peered out the window into the street below; he was sitting on one of the couches near the window. "I'm going to ignore Naruto's orders." Sasha gave him a disapproving look, "I mean the one about no sex." Her smile returned, "He may be right, maybe we have become too immersed in our alter egos, I don't know. I don't even feel like a clone anymore. To me Naruto feels more like a commanding officer than an alternate version of myself. I'll aid him because I believe in the same cause as he, but outside of the orders and requests required to do this mission to be successful, I fully intend to ignore him."

Sasha moved across the room and sat between his legs, "My first response: I feel the same way. An added explanation: We may be clones, but our lives are our own, at least until Naruto feels we have out lived out usefulness."

Arthain wrapped his arms around her chest and embraced her tightly. A blush crossed Sasha's face as Arthain buried his face into her hair, "As for what I'm thinking about, I'm thinking about a way of us to still be us after this mission is over."

"My third question: Have you thought of anything?" Sasha inquired as she wrapped her arms around his.

"I've figured out our chakra problem. We have the memories of his clones when they dispel, I can easily make a chakra transfer array. Mikogami Hayato has plenty of Sekirei, we just ambush two of the less combat orientated ones, steal their cores, and instantly our chakra issues are resolved." It was cruel but they were going to be killed anyways. Might as well make their deaths have greater meaning than simply an extra number added to a body count. With a few tweaks he may be able to make the transfer go faster and less painfully for the Sekirei, perhaps a paralysis seal coupled with a sleep Genjutsu. Force them to stay still and fall asleep, that way they would die peacefully.

"My first response: That does not solve the durability problem." Sasha replied. Even if it allowed them to live indefinitely without the need to rely on Naruto for extra chakra it didn't solve the issue that a strong solid hit could dispel them.

And forget ever having children unless that problem was taken care of.

Arthain sighed as he leaned his head against the back of the couch. "Ya, I haven't figured that part out. Having that much extra chakra flowing through our bodies could allow us to reinforce our bodies so that we could take a stronger hit, but again it's only a band aid solution. It doesn't really solve the underlying issue."

"My first suggestion: Perhaps we could create a self-repairing sealing array within ourselves that is used to maintain the integral structure of a shadow clone." Sasha suggested. They were both clones of a Fuinjutsu master; they could create something like that with a little time.

Arthain thought about that for a moment. He laid his head back against the couch and stared up at the sealing, "It would require redundancy, alternative pathways to take if one pathway was disrupted."

"My second suggestion: Sekirei Focal point can be used to send and receive signals. An added explanation: Creation of possible focal points within body with the core acting as a central unit could allow for chakra to be sent to any part of the body regardless of disruptions."

Arthain nodded, "Could work, if we have a focal point at each of the gates and each extremity there wouldn't be any disruption of chakra flow. The Sekirei Core would ensure a continuous supply of chakra and the sealing array would help maintain the overall form of the clone should we take a decidedly strong blow."

This might actually be possible. They had a lot of work ahead of themselves and only a small window of time to do it in, especially since they needed to keep an eye on the mansion. Shadow clones were a perfect replica of the original in every way except for a few key details.

The first was that they couldn't replenish their own chakra. They could however draw upon external sources such as a Sekirei Core or nature chakra.

The second was that a sufficiently strong blow could dispel them. The more chakra they had in them the stronger the blow they could take. This is because that a clone, while a perfect replica of the original, could only maintain its shape so long as the chakra flowed smoothly through the body and wasn't disrupted at any point. The more chakra a clone had, the harder it was to disrupt the flow of chakra. Having a core would alleviate that problem but it wouldn't solve it. To solve it they would need to put something in place that would maintain the structure of the clone even in the case of disruptions, this is where the sealing array came into play. It would keep them whole, but only so long as it had chakra. To ensure that all points of the array had chakra the various focal points would be created. They'd use a less complex version of the **Hairaishin no Jutsu** to send chakra from the core to the focal points.

They'd have to keep this from Naruto however, who knows how'd he react to his clones desire for independence.

**x~X~x**

A loud cry pierced the air.

Mitsuki cursed and bolted down the street. She had lost Ayano Hikari a few minutes earlier. Hayato Mikogami's father had reason to believe that the Yakuza were targeting their family. For what reason she didn't know but he seemed pretty adamant about the whole thing. After the third maid had disappeared Mikogami-sama had decided that anyone else going out had to be escorted.

She was supposed to be Ayano's escort. She cursed again as she turned the corner and ran into the alleyway she had heard the scream come from. If only she hadn't gotten distracted by that cute puppy. It had the most adorable eyes and it had been whimpering pitifully.

She loved puppies; she couldn't stand seeing them left alone and hurt like that. Once she found Ayano she was going to hunt down and hurt whoever it had been that had dropped it from the sky. Who could do that to such a cute puppy like that?

Turning the last corner Mitsuki blanched at the sight before her. She noticed three shadows disappear around the corner at the far end of the alley. She wanted to chase after them but she had to help Ayano first.

Mitsuki was at the girl's side in an instant. Mitsuki cringed even more once she got a close look. Ayano's kneecaps were crushed and splintered and her arms were bent at unnatural angles. It also looked as if they had dragged her face across the wall for some distance.

Mitsuki looked up and paled even more as she noticed the streak of blood smeared on the wall.

"God damnit, those fucking Yakuza, I'm going to kill them all!" Mitsuki shouted as she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed 119. This was bad. Mikogami-sama was going to be so mad at her for getting distracted like that.

But she couldn't just leave the puppy, it was too cute. It wasn't her fault that someone had tossed it from a building.

Said puppy was currently 'asleep' and curled up in the front of Mitsuki's dress. Mitsuki was so focused on getting Ayano the attention she needed that Mitsuki never noticed the decidedly human like grin that crossed the puppy's face.

**x~X~x**

"Miss Haruno Sakura I presume?" An aged butler asked.

Sakura flashed him a smile and curtsied, "Yes Mr. Klaus." Sakura replied.

Seishirou Klaus was the butler for Mikogami Hayate. He was an older gentleman with short grey hair, blue eyes, glasses and a mustache. He wore the standard butler attire that being a full suit with the only difference being that he had opted for a bowtie instead of the standard full length necktie.

From the file that Sakura had read before arriving she had learned that the Hayato family had picked him up after his previous employer, an incredibly rich spoiled girl, even more so than Mikogami, had dumped him for a much younger man.

He was incredibly strict and had high standards, but if you met them you were golden. He was also a closet pervert so Sakura had opted to show more skin then was normally appropriate at an interview of this level.

A lot more skin.

It also seemed to work since the butler couldn't seem to keep his eyes off the gentle rise of her breasts as they peaked around the edges of her dress.

Ino had employed much the same strategy yesterday and had already secured a job within. She had given Sakura some tips as to what did and didn't work on the butler. There had been a couple occasions where she had almost lost the opportunity due to a careless word here or the wrong gesture there.

She paid close attention as Seishirou Klaus went through the duties and tasks that would be required of her. These tasks ranged from watering the garden to doing laundry, from getting the young master his favorite bedtime snack to reading a bedtime story for Kuu-chan.

It was pretty standard affair, as he asked her questions she replied with precision, answering the questions perfectly. The answers were never 'exactly' what the butler wanted to hear, but they were always more than sufficient. The key to blending into a role perfectly was to avoid perfection. Perfection drew attention.

The interview went on for almost two hours. Sakura was sure it could have ended much sooner but every time she 'adjusted' the straps on her dress the butler always seemed to find another reason to draw the conversation out.

Eventually it couldn't be dragged on any longer.

"Normally there would be multiple interviews but I'm certain that it's not required." Seishirou Klaus said as he held a hand out for Sakura. "If the conditions of the job are acceptable I'd like to welcome you as a new maid at Mikogami Hayato's manor.

The butler wasn't too worried. They had done some background checks on Sakura Haruno and nothing had come up. That meant she hadn't done anything to warrant them to worry. She wasn't affiliated with any gangs or organizations and hadn't committed any crimes. She didn't even have so much as a parking ticket.

Besides, look at those legs, and those breasts….

Sakura gave him her best smile as she reached out and gently shook his hand. She made sure to let her fingers lightly brush his as she withdrew her hand. The aged butler almost melted on the spot.

"Thank you for having me. I accept."

**x~X~x**

Naruto gazed over the maps and documents one final time from within his underground complex. Everything was ready.

Sakura and Ino were both in place and busy rigging several rooms per his instructions. He had given them additional orders after they had been successfully placed inside the enemy HQ. They were to set up a barrier seal around the mansion. Naruto didn't want anyone getting out once he began his assault.

No one suspected them in the slightest. Sakura had the head butler wrapped around her pinky finger, and her legs. Those were memories that Naruto didn't want back but sacrifices were sometimes required. At least she kept it to a minimum and it did give her complete freedom to go anywhere she wanted in the mansion.

The ANBU squad had kept tabs on everyone and he knew the movements of every Sekirei, sometimes even before they did. From their last report fifteen minutes ago there were going to be eleven Sekirei outside the compound tomorrow with the rest staying inside to protect Mikogami Hayato. One ANBU squad member had even managed to snuggle its way to a Sekirei's side. That particular Sekirei would be dead before she even knew what was going on.

The Yakuza Squad had already dispelled, their tasks were done. There was now a full fledge war going on between the south and the east. Some nights there was literally a river of blood flowing through some of the back alleys. The police were stretched thin and run ragged. They had given up on most of the streets and had focused on protecting the rich areas and critical businesses. They had even requested help from MBI.

For some reason Naruto had heard that Minaka had declined saying he had no interest in the 'affairs of mortals' as he put it.

The Namikaze Squad had finished their duties as well, although they hadn't dispelled yet. Naruto wasn't too worried about them. Despite his misgivings of their private behaviour they had performed their duties perfectly and he really had no complaint.

Plus those were some memories he didn't want back and the longer they delayed the better. They would dispel on their own when they ran out of chakra anyway.

The seals were ready. He could tear Kusano away from Mikogami Hayato. Kusano wouldn't feel anything, but Mikogami was going to feel it for sure. Naruto would teach him the harsh realities of life and then he would end him.

Everything was ready. Tomorrow they would strike. Tomorrow would be the day Mikogami Hayato took his last breath.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yay! I'm sure you can all guess what starts in the next chapter!

Anyways I have a couple questions for my readers because I can't for the life of me figure them out.

Going off the manga how long has it been since Musubi fell on Minato up until chapter 144? I know it is AT LEAST two months since the start due to the fact that Miya has visited her husband's grave twice since the start of the story but that's all we've been 'shown' thus far. She could have visited more, I don't know. So I wonder if anyone else has a better idea. If you have an idea could you please post it in a review or something? PM would work if for some reason you absolutely can't review (I know there are some sneaky folks out there that are hiding from their fans).

Also does anyone know the proper term for the area in the hallway in Izumo Inn with the large sliding door that open out into the back yard? I always thought it was a veranda but I may be incorrect. You can see it in multiple chapters such as when Higa attacks Izumo Inn to grab the Jinki in the fourth stage and when Kusano gets her wings from Minato (those are just 2 instances that I remember off the top of my head.) If anyone does know what its official name is, please tell me, otherwise I'm just going to stick with veranda.

Thanks.


	17. Chapter 16: The Crumbling House of Cards

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**All characters I pulled from their respective games belong to the creators of said games.**

**Author's Notes: When it gets to the operation portion of the chapter I tried to put them in chronological order but some of them span over the course of multiple scenes. I guess to best sum it up they're put in order of when they 'end' so to speak. While some scenes may jump back to a time prior to, or during an, earlier scene when the current scene is over it'll be at a point in time furthest ahead. No idea if that makes any sense to you but I hope it does. There is a lot of jumping around.**

**Also I REALLY wanted to put the entire assault in a single chapter. I failed, I'm sorry. There is just SO much that I had to split it. The combined chapters would have broken 30,000 words easily, and that doesn't include the wrap-up chapter.**

**So far my story has been pretty straight forward but that's about to start changing. There are some very interesting things coming up soon. The story is really going to start deviating from the manga. I've found some very interesting ways to insert some cool elements, at least I think they're cool anyways. The readers may disagree, they have before. Still I think I've done good thus far considering that for most of my story I've been flying by the seat of my pants. I've got the over-arching plot planned out, a few key scenes (maybe a half dozen total), but the rest of it? Oh I've just been winging it.**

**Review Responses:** I said this before so I didn't think I needed to say it a second time. I guess I was wrong. My OC isn't going to have a large role. I said before that like the Yakuza he's basically gone come the end of this arc. That hasn't changed. This isn't a self-insertion story and I refuse to let it turn into one. I told you, I only used myself as a basis for a clone's personality. Whether it was my personality/name or someone else this clone independence situation would still have occurred. There are some plot elements I need to introduce and the clone will be doing that. Maybe I should have changed the name so you simply thought it was an OC instead of an attempt to insert myself into the story.

There were a lot of questions about Ayano. I just want to say that it looked worse than it was but she is going to be hospitalized while she goes through rehabilitation to walk again. And as for the reason behind the brutality… well let's just say the Namikaze Clones weren't the only ones who got a bit too 'immersed' in their roles. More on that later but I'm glad people noticed just how brutal the Yakuza clones were.

There was one reviewer that I couldn't talk to with PM's, he has them disabled so I'm going to address one of the points he made here. Why Naruto prioritized Mikogami over Higa is simple. 'WE' know Higa is cruel, malicious and evil. Naruto does not. My characters don't make judgement calls based on what WE know, but based on what THEY know. Higa hasn't done anything to draw undue attention to him specifically, not yet at least.

There have been several people that have asked why doesn't Naruto free all the Sekirei? Well the answer is simple; he doesn't know who was forced and who wasn't. How many has Mikogami forced? 3? 4? 15? If its 15 then yes, freeing them all is the better option, but if it's on the lower end? How many people has he consigned to despair? How many enemies has he made of Sekirei that legitimately cared about Mikogami? How many lives has he permanently scarred by tearing away their soul mate? Naruto is acting based on facts, not assumptions. If he discovers others that were forced to be winged while assaulting Mikogami's mansion then yes he'd free those as well, but he's not going to assume they were forced without any evidence what-so-ever.

**Chapter 16: The Crumbling House of Cards**

Naruto took stock of his inventory one final time as he readied himself for the attack on the South. He was down to half his normal supply of kunai and shuriken, having used them quite liberally in the Kusano Rescue attempt. He had managed to retrieve some but most of them had been either too damaged to be worth recovering or simply missing.

He had all the medical supplies he would need, just in case one of his Sekirei got hurt. He wouldn't need them. If Kurama and his own natural regeneration wasn't enough his little first aid kit wouldn't be of much help.

Kurama was now fully healed and just as lively as he had always been. Although Naruto intended to limit his use of his friend today he would definitely be needed tomorrow when he went through with his plan to fix and ultimately wing Akitsu.

He also had several scrolls tucked into various pockets or sealed into his body. He had everything he would need to tear Kusano away from Mikogami Hayato. Naruto had figured out the best way for him to destroy the bond between a Sekirei and an Ashikabi a few days prior.

There was actually an interesting symbiosis between the two. While Naruto had been aware early on that a Sekirei grew wings by absorbing the chakra from their Ashikabi, he hadn't been aware that they also imparted a portion of their own chakra into said Ashikabi. It was very interesting how the chakra got inside him. Normally he would feel it but foreign chakra usually fights against the body. The chakra from a Sekirei went with it, melded with the body, with the chakra produced by said individual. He never noticed it because his body never registered it as a threat. The chakra basically travelled up the pathways and embedded itself in his mind. There it melded seamlessly with him, adjusting its self rather than forcing adjustments on the mind, until it fit in just perfectly. From there it was a constant reminder, and connection, between the two.

The chakra an Ashikabi imparts into a Sekirei settles into three major areas.

The first place was at the Sekirei Core. The chakra there acted as a key that unlocked the Core and allowed the Sekirei to access more of their power than normal.

The second place where the chakra was stored in the Sekirei was in the mind itself. Much like the Ashikabi there was a location nestled inside their mind that housed the connection between the Ashikabi and the Sekirei.

The final place was at the crest; specifically the darker half of the yin-yang symbol. The lighter half was filled with the Sekirei's chakra, the darker half with the Ashikabi. When a deactivation command was received it would check for the Ashikabi's chakra in the crest. If it was there it'd head to the bond first to sever it. If the chakra wasn't there the command would head straight for the core. The signal sent from the crest to the bond with the Ashikabi would dissolve the Sekirei's chakra in the Ashikabi and terminate the bond before it headed for the core. The same would happen if the Ashikabi died. If the Ashikabi's mind stopped functioning the bond would break and it would trigger a signal to be sent from the Sekirei crest requesting a termination command.

After a couple more sessions with Akitsu he had come to the realization that the chakra redirect was there to protect Akitsu. Since she was a 'scrapped' number she couldn't be winged. Instead of the chakra being able to settle properly in all three places, and form a proper bond between her and her Ashikabi, the chakra that couldn't find a place to settle would simply run rampant throughout her body and potentially cause harm. The redirect was there to force the chakra out instead. The actual blockage was the barrier at the crest. With that there a connection couldn't be established between the Sekirei and the Ashikabi.

Of course there was no reason for the redirect to make her feel bad about herself aside from pure maliciousness.

With the knowledge he now had about the inner workings of the Sekirei he could fix Akitsu and had three different methods of freeing Kusano.

The first way to free Kusano was to send a command to the Sekirei that forced a termination of the bond without a termination of the core, the second was to turn her into a Scrapped Number and the final way was to simply overwhelm the Ashikabi's chakra in the Sekirei, destroy it so to speak.

All three methods had their pros and cons however. The first method was very risky since the difference in the command between severing the bond between Ashikabi and Sekirei while keeping the core active was so minor that you would need perfect chakra manipulation to not mess up.

He still didn't know how to reactivate a Sekirei after they've been deactivated so there was no fixing that mistake.

The second and third methods were both very similar. The difference between them was 'where' he blocked the signal between the Ashikabi and the Sekirei.

With the second method he would but a barrier inside Kusano much like Akitsu's. This would effectively cut off the communication between the two. It would also prevent a deactivation of the core since no command could get through 'to' deactivate it. After that it was just a matter of removing or destroying what was left of Mikogami Hayato's chakra within her.

The third method had the same final steps but instead of putting a block within Kusano he put the block between Mikogami Hayato and his Sekirei. After that it was simply a matter of sealing the room up so no external signals could get in and then proceed with destroying Mikogami Hayato's chakra within Kusano. Once it was all gone she would be free.

He had decided to go with the third method. It had the least potential to harm Kusano in both the short term and the long term although it made the burden on him the worst. He'd gladly bear it to save her.

Naruto approached the window in his bedroom and looked outside. Akitsu was out there along with some of his clones. She had been training hard this past week. It was actually a little frightening at how easily she picked up what he had taught her.

Naruto's clone weaved and dodged as he tried his best to evade Akitsu's attack. Akitsu had spent the last week training to become stronger and Naruto had done what he could to support her. There a dozen clones on the sidelines watching the battle between Akitsu and the current clone.

Each clone was stronger, better, and faster than the last. As Akitsu became strong enough to beat one, a stronger clone stepped forward to push Akitsu to new heights. Akitsu took to the training like fish to water. She wanted to be as strong as possible for Naruto.

A dozen lances of ice pierce the clone as Akitsu finally managed to land her strikes. She had gotten better at predicting how Naruto was going to move. She hadn't broken a sweat yet; these first few clones were always rather easy to deal with. Akitsu moved back into the mirror to prepare for the next clone.

Naruto had taught her a couple tricks from his old home. The entire back yard of Izumo Inn was covered in a dome of mirrors made out of ice. Naruto had called it the **Makyō Hyōshō** or Demonic Ice Mirrors. He had explained to her what it looked like and what it enabled the user to do and Akitsu had figured out the rest from there.

The second technique he had shown her was how to make clones. They were solid, like Naruto's, but instead of being an identical replica they were made out of ice. They looked like her on the outside but after you got past the skin it was all ice. He had taught her the idea behind the clone technique and she had crafted the ice version of it herself.

Finally she was working on being able to direct her projectiles in midflight. At the moment once she fired the projectiles she had no way of controlling them, she resolved to fix that issue.

In the meantime Naruto had agreed to lend her some clones so she could warm up in preparation for the day's main event.

Yume had approached her earlier in the week and had asked her to spare the Sekirei she fought. Akitsu had responded that she would try her best. She was not like Naruto in that she was going to deliberately end any Sekirei she fought, but she wasn't going to risk herself or her Ashikabi by sparing the lives of her fellow Sekirei. If she could defeat them without killing them, she would, but she wasn't going handicap herself to do so.

Akitsu was ready for today. Today she would prove to everyone that she wasn't a failure, that she wasn't broken. And tomorrow, tomorrow she would be winged.

**x~X~x**

As Akitsu and Naruto's clones sparred in the back, Yume and Miya sparred lightly in the front. Aside from Naruto Miya was the only person that Yume could fight against and get any sort of reasonable workout.

Miya weaved to the side as she avoided Yume's thrust. With a flick of her wrist she lashed out with her bokken. Yume blocked the strike with her other fist and quickly jumped back. "You have become faster this past week." Miya commented as she readied herself again.

While Miya wasn't using her full power in these spars against Yume she found herself using more and more power each time they fought.

"I must do my best to support Naruto-kun." Yume declared fiercely. "And I must prevent as many Level 5 deactivations as possible." She settled into her standard battle stance.

"Yes, please do so. While I agree with Naruto's plan, I can't say I agree with his methods." Naruto had changed since the Kusano episode. Oh the fun loving person she so enjoyed to tease was still there but he had hardened slightly as well. Whether Naruto had been forged into something new or something old had been revived within him she didn't know. Miya put those thoughts to the side for the moment as she carefully eyed Yume's movements. Of all the Sekirei in the Sekirei Plan, Yume was the one closest to her level. Her strength demanded a certain level of caution. "Minaka has made a mockery out of the Sekirei battles."

Sekirei were supposed to find their destined ones on their own. They were not meant to be handed out to others as trophies, nor were they supposed to be tampered with and adjusted. A Sekirei could never hurt their true Ashikabi, even unadjusted. Even the battles themselves were a twisted mockery of what it should have been. This forced organized fighting was pointless. They had come here to restore their race and their world, not burn it out in pointless battles against one another. Conflict was inevitable, yes, but Minaka was forcing the issue.

But things were different in this day and age. A thousand years past one could travel wherever one wanted without the need of silly things like passports or identification. MBI had been a necessary evil she had been forced to live with due to the need to integrate Sekirei seamlessly into today's society. Without MBI the Sekirei would never have been able to find their proper Ashikabi, or any Ashikabi.

"Yes, I feel the same. Naruto's heart is in the right place but his mind is not. He is using his heart to decide a goal, and his mind to determine the method to achieve said goal." Yume darted in again and began another quick exchange of glancing blows and blocked strikes. "Miya-san, can I ask you something?" Yume inquired.

"What is it?" Miya asked as the wooden sword in her hand blurred through the air, the strikes were almost invisible to the untrained eye.

Yume dodged the strikes with some effort, "Why haven't you been winged by anyone?" She asked curiously. Of all the Sekirei Miya deserved to be winged and know happiness the most. "If you were winged Miya, you would be free."

The two separated quickly as a sad look crossed Miya's face. She slowly brushed some of her stray hair behind her ear. "You don't know do you, Yume." Miya said softly as she gazed at the younger Sekirei with pain filled eyes, "You don't know about the accident, the one that took Takehito-san's life. If he was an Ashikabi, maybe that tragedy would have never happened."

Yume had a confused look on her face. She knew of Takehito. He had worked at MBI when she had awoken but she didn't have much interaction with him, Takami had been her adjuster. He had been a genius on the same level as Minaka and his departure had been a severe blow to the company. He had left around the same time as Miya…

Yume's eyes widened in realization "Miya…"

"The reason why I am not winged is because the person I loved was not an Ashikabi. That's all, nothing more, nothing less." Miya said softly as she lowered the bokken to her side. Her desire to continue the spar drained from her. Talking about her deceased husband always made her feel hollow inside.

Yume looked at Miya with sympathy in her eyes. She brought a hand up to her chest and pressed it against her Sekirei Core. Miya had found the one she loved, but had lost him because he wasn't an Ashikabi. Yume closed her eyes for a moment and felt the love for her that flowed through the bond from her Ashikabi.

"Miya." Yume started, her eyes still closed. "You, more than anyone, deserve to be happy. I'm sure Takehito-san would wish the same." She opened her eyes and smiled gently at the Sekirei Pillar, "You haven't been winged yet so you're not bound to anyone. You're still capable of finding love again. Love is too precious to give up on and I know your heart is big enough for more than just Takehito-san." Yume would never suggest that Miya should forget about Takehito, but she should move on. She still had that option open to her.

For her to stand still because she mourned the past was just too sad in Yume's opinion.

Miya flinched a little at those words. She loved Takehito, she still did. It just wouldn't feel right to replace him.

"'SUP!" Seo yelled as he barged onto the property, "Miya-chan! Feed me!"

Miya whipped around and glared at Seo for a moment before her normal cheerful looked crossed her face. For some reason she was both extremely irritated and immensely relieved at the unexpected intrusion. Behind Seo were his two Sekirei, both looking equally apologetic, as they dutifully followed their Ashikabi.

What Seo didn't know is that she fed him to spare those two. If she didn't feel sorry for Hikari and Hibiki for having to deal with the scum that was Seo she would have tossed him out on his ass long ago.

"Oh my, a noisy person is here and so early too." Miya said as she brought a hand to her cheek and tilted her head slightly.

"Miya…" Yume trailed off slowly. She had seen the look in Miya's eyes. Her loyalty to Takehito prevented her from acting on her desire to feel love again.

**x~X~x**

Hanabi stretched her arms and legs as she warmed prepared her body for the day to come. Today would be the first day in weeks that she would be able to do something worthwhile. She stared down at the perfectly smooth and unblemished skin on her arms and hands. Between the excellent medical treatment the Hospital had provided, the experimental medical cream and her own increased healing ability due to the Sekirei Core she had recovered far faster than anyone had predicted.

And she had healed completely as well. There weren't even scars left over from the accident. She knew that shouldn't have been possible, that there should have been some sort of residual reminder of the accident, but she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth too much.

She was dressed for combat. She had on her standard-issue ANBU uniform with the black pants, black ninja sandals, sleeveless black undershirt, gray chest armor, gloves that covered her arms up to her biceps, armguards and her mask. The mask itself wasn't covering her face, it hung at her side at the moment. All of this was covered by a full length dark cloak, hooded cloak that covered her entire body. She would discard it when it was time to begin the operation. She wasn't worried about looking out of place; no one would even notice her passage, but just in case she didn't want anyone to know her gear setup until it was too late.

She looked over at the bed where she should be. There was a shadow clone in it at the moment, sleeping peacefully. At this stage of the treatment medical baths and other invasive treatment processes weren't required so the shadow clone would pass all tests. The doctors had mentioned something about medical equipment arriving in two days to remove the residual scaring from her arms.

She wouldn't need that now but there was no need to tell the doctors just yet. That could wait until after today. She had more important things to take care of than a bunch of surprised doctors demanding an explanation.

In the meantime her shadow clones could take her place easily enough. She had been away from her Naruto-kun long enough.

As she finished the last of her stretches she mentally took stock of her condition. While she may have been unable to utilize her families techniques in fear of prolonging the healing process she had been able to do minor exercises with her new found Sekirei powers.

As she had figured they were gravity based. She couldn't 'change' the mass of an object, but she could adjust how much influence the mass exerted or was affected by its surroundings. She could manipulate gravity to reduce the weight of gravity until it was virtually weightless. This was akin to being in space. There was still 'some' downward force but even the smallest push could send an object flying four hours until gravity finally exerted enough force on the object to bring it back down to the ground.

Or she could use her power to greatly increase the effect of an object's mass. A small experiment on a glass of water she had been given had proven just how effective that could be for an attack. She had to be careful with that ability as too much would actually cause the object in question to implode, to collapse in upon itself. She still hadn't found the remains of the glass she had crushed with her power. She was sure it was somewhere around the room somewhere, it was simply too small to find.

The last thing she had realized is that some of her Sekirei Power was still locked away. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that what she had could be enhanced beyond what it was currently capable of doing but it would require an external application of chakra to do that.

Specifically it would require Naruto-kun's chakra. It was probably that Norito ability he had mentioned to her last week.

Hanabi attention jerked away from her thoughts as she heard some voices outside her room. She was at the door in an instant. While it wasn't polite to eavesdrop you could learn some very interesting things this way.

"…Another one fell last night." Hanabi frowned. She didn't recognize the voice. It wasn't one of the doctors or nurses that normally worked in this area. Could it be a new hire? She hadn't been aware of any new patients arriving and she was familiar with everyone in this wing.

"**Byakugan**." Hanabi whispered. The veins around her eyes bulged as her bloodline activated. As she stared through the wall her frowned deepened even more. That was no new hire on the other side of that door. That looked very much like a regular businessman, someone that was well connected at that. The lab coat didn't sit right on his shoulders and the look on his face was definitely out of place.

"I guess it was the Sekirei Asama Takehito was taking care of, No. 10 'Uzume'."

"I don't want to hear about that." Uzume growled. She had a dark look in her eyes as she glared at the man. It was very clear to Hanabi that Uzume absolutely hated who she was talking to. Her clenched fists and angry body posture only served to reinforce that fact. "Who's the next target?"

Hanabi's eyes narrowed. Target?

"It's hard work hacking into the MBI network to get information, because information on the Sekirei is highly classified." Hanabi watched as the man reached into his lab coat and pulled out three pictures. With her eyesight she was able to see all three photos just fine. Those must be the targets Uzume had referred to. Hanabi didn't recognize any of the Sekirei in the pictures there. "Our investigation of the MBI network has located 3 of them." The man said as he held the pictures out to Uzume, "No. 19 'Ikki', No. 95 'Kuno' and No. 3 'Kazehana'. Ah, No. 3 has yet to get her 'wings' yet. Her Ashikabi doesn't have a shadow. You should be able to take care of her easily."

Uzume angrily snatched the photos from the man's hand and began to stalk away. He smirked and adjusted his glasses, "Try not to forget. She doesn't have much time left, your Ashikabi."

"I know!" Uzume growled through clenched teeth. If looks could kill Hanabi was certain that the man in the hallway would be a stain on the wall by now.

Hanabi's eyes widened as the man turned to stare at her. Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly jumped to the side. The man continued to stare at the door and Hanabi's heart slowed down. He hadn't been looking at her.

He had been looking at her room.

The man turned and headed down the hallway in the opposite direction of Uzume.

A sudden chill went down Hanabi's spine. This place was no longer safe.

It was very easy to figure out that Uzume was being blackmailed into helping that unknown individual. He knew that she was a Sekirei and that her Ashikabi was sick: Services in exchange for medical aid.

Similar situations had been common back in the Elemental Nations. Uzume was being blackmailed into doing something she didn't want to do, and if she resisted her Ashikabi would suffer the consequences of her actions. It left a foul taste in her mouth. Uzume and Chiho were both her friends. She was going to have to find some way to help them.

Hanabi was tempted to chase after the man and end him but she didn't know how well he was connected. If he was simply a messenger than any harm done to him would simply be reciprocated against Uzume and her Ashikabi.

Hanabi looked back at her shadow clone again. It looked like her clone was going to replace her permanently here. With the clone here she would have free access to this wing until she was 'officially' released. She could still visit Chiho whenever she wanted. But there was no way she was personally staying in this place any longer. She was healed, she no longer needed them and they had already been paid more than enough for the services they've rendered.

She looked up at the clock on the wall and cursed. Eavesdropping had wasted precious time. She wouldn't be able to meet up with Naruto-kun at Izumo Inn. She sent a quick message to Naruto saying she'd meet him at Charlie Point and quickly left the Hospital. She hid her presence so well that even if someone were to look at the security footage later they still wouldn't notice her.

**x~X~x**

"What took you so long?" Hanabi asked as Naruto entered the warehouse. She had fully expected Naruto to have been here before her.

"A noisy one appeared at Izumo Inn." Naruto said with a dead-panned expression on his face. He had not been aware that Miya knew Seo, although she didn't seem to hold the man in very high regard.

Still he was a very observant and sharp individual. It was hard to get out of Izumo Inn with both his Sekirei without Seo suspecting something. The last thing he wanted was a noisy, sharp eyed bastard whose allegiance was entirely unknown at best thinking he was up to something.

If all he had to worry about was him it would have been an easy thing to do. Just excuse himself to the washroom, create a shadow clone, and he could be gone in an instant. The major issue had been getting Yume out. Seo had been all sorts of curious about what had happened to Musubi.

Regardless they had managed eventually. Miya had helped them get away by requesting their aid in getting some produce from the nearby supermarket. He had sent a couple clones to go ahead and do that.

By the time Seo knew anything was amiss it would be too late for him to interfere and the situation would have been too awkward to ask questions.

Hanabi flashed him a grin and pointed towards the entrance to the complex. She had already moved the container to the side. "Well, you're the last one. Everyone else is already down below waiting for orders."

Naruto nodded and quickly headed to the entrance and went down the ladder. Yume and Akitsu were quick to follow after him. Taking one last look at the entrance to make sure that it was closed tightly Hanabi quickly shimmied down the ladder.

Naruto looked gazed around the room as he made his way to the table in the center of the room. The ANBU Squad captain was there waiting for his orders. The rest of the members were already in place to go ahead with their part in the battle to come.

There was a two-way version of the communication device he had created to spy on Matsu set up on one side of the table. On the other end was Ino Yamanaka. Sakura was busy keeping the head butler occupied so she hadn't been able to make it to the meeting. It would have caused too much suspicion anyways for the two of them to be seen together for any length of time.

Although not part of the operation itself Naruto noticed three more individuals, all female, held in a stasis seal in the corner of the room. They were completely unaware of what was transpiring around them. They would be released after today no worse for wear than the moment they had come into his possession.

"Ah! Naruto-sama!" A female voice called out. Naruto turned to regard the Ayesha as she strode from the kitchen. In her hand was a tray with several cups of tea. "I have prepared some tea for you and everyone else." Ayesha said as she crossed the room and gently placed the tray on the table.

Ayesha was one of the oddest individual Naruto had ever come across. Normally she would be locked up in stasis just like the others but after only a couple moments in her presence Naruto instantly felt that she was completely harmless. There wasn't a single mean bone in her body. He wasn't even sure if she 'could' get mad. She wasn't naïve and stupid like Musubi, she knew what modesty was and she was well aware of sex and other concepts like that, she was just innocence personified.

He hadn't the heart to lock her up like the others. Plus she was a very good maid.

It also helped that she knew quite a bit about Mikogami Hayato and the mansion he lived in. She'd been working as a live in maid for several years now. She had readily told them everything she knew, information that either corroborated with what the ANBU Squad had already found out or was verified at a later date. She honestly couldn't conceive the notion that he had planned to use the information she gave him for ill-intent.

It almost made him feel guilty, almost.

Still he would keep her safe down here until everything was said and done. He had even deliberated on taking her back with him to Izumo Inn. Apparently she and Kusano were on good terms and Miya could always use some help cleaning and maintaining the Inn. With all the new residents it was definitely consuming more and more of her time each day.

He also didn't want to see that innocence in her eyes destroyed should she try to return to the mansion only to find it a smoking crater with dead bodies scattered all over the place. The south wasn't going to be a very pleasant place to be soon.

"Ah, thank you Ayesha, you can take a break now. There are some books on medicinal herbs in the storage room, why don't you go take the rest of the day off and just read." Ayesha could be a very talkative person if one simply gave her the opportunity. By now he knew her entire life story, including her hobbies and dreams.

"Thank you Naruto-sama! You're so thoughtful." She said cheerfully and quickly left the room.

"She's an odd one isn't she?" Hanabi said as she watched the blonde haired maid leave the room suspiciously.

"It's called innocence, something that I never thought I'd see in someone over the age of two." Naruto said softly. "If everyone was like her there would be no such things as war, discrimination, prejudice, envy, jealousy or greed. The world would actually know true peace."

"Yes, we would have peace." Hanabi said just as softly as she walked over to stand beside Naruto, "But that's it. I wonder how happy she is. There can be no happiness without sadness, no hope without fear, no love without hate. One cannot, or rather will never know that they are, experiencing a positive emotion if they don't have a point of comparison."

"True, but I don't have the heart to break her."

"Neither do I." She lied. One did not become as old as Ayesha in this day and age and retain that level of innocence without there being something terribly wrong with you. It made Hanabi nervous.

"Anyways, let's move on to the main objective." Naruto said. That got everyone's attention. "As everyone knows, today is the day we bring down Mikogami Hayato." He got several nods from various individuals around the room. "Everyone has a vague idea of what their tasks today will be; it's time for the final orders to be given." Naruto looked over at Ino. "I'll start with you so that the people over there don't get suspicious of your absence. The task you and Sakura have is three-fold. How the two of you divvy it up is up to you. First off I want the head butler taken out. There are only 3 individuals in that place that can organize the people there: Mikogami, Mutsu and the head butler. I'll deal with the former two, you deal with the latter."

"It will be done." Ino replied, "I know Sakura will enjoy that bit. She takes long baths every morning to try and scrub every aspect of that man off her."

"Good, secondly the moment I arrive I want you to take out their regular security force. Don't bother with the Sekirei; they will be dealt with in other ways. Just make sure that the cameras are down, communications with the outside world are cut off or blocked and that all regular security guards are eliminated." Ino nodded her head as she accepted the order, "And finally I want you to break into their vault. I heard Sakura was able to get access to it earlier. We won't be able to touch their funds in the bank but anything of monetary value that's easily stored in a storage scroll I want you to take."

Mikogami Hayato was filthy rich. It was obvious that the bulk of their money would be kept stored in the bank vaults but no one got that rich by being stupid. There was most certainly a sizeable amount of hard currency stored in safe houses that they owned in case problems arose with the banks such as bankruptcy.

"Easily done." Ino replied.

"Good, that's all. Once you have drained their vault head to Charlie Point and don't be seen. Staying hidden and out of sight is more important than speed. Now go and get ready."

"Alright." Ino replied and the communication device went dark.

Naruto turned to the ANBU Squad Captain. "I know you have one of your men on the inside. Notify him that he is to eliminate Sekirei No. 39 Mitsuki the moment she realizes something is amiss. I don't want to tip them off early but I don't want her coming to anyone's aid. As for yourself and the rest of the Squad, keep an eye on the situation and notify us if there are any changes in the movement of the Sekirei. If you see an opportunity to eliminate a Sekirei without risk, do so, but don't risk it otherwise. You're more useful as a reconnaissance and support tool than an assassination tool this time around."

"As you wish Hokage." The ANBU Squad captain said. With a quick salute he left the underground complex to go give his orders.

"As for the rest of us." Naruto said as he turned to face his Sekirei, "We're going to be the primary assault squad. Mikogami Hayato currently has seventeen Sekirei. These are the list of Sekirei that he has." Naruto said as he unfurled a scroll on the table for them all to see.

**Mikogami Hayato – Sekirei Count – 19 (17 Active, 1 Terminated, 1 Deceased)**  
1) No.05 Mutsu – Mansion – Sword and Earth Based Powers – Naruto  
2) No.15 Himeko – Outside – Unique Double Sided Blade – Hanabi  
3) No.19 Ikki – Outside – Dual Kodachi – Hanabi  
4) No.20 Blanc – Mansion – Axe – Naruto  
5) No.21 Vert – Outside – Spear – Yume  
6) No.24 Say'ri – Outside – Sword – Akitsu  
7) No.25 Yen'fay – Outside – Double Swords – Akitsu  
8) No.38 Mitsuha – Outside – Whip – Akitsu  
9) No.39 Mitsuki – Mansion – Metal Wires – ANBU  
10) No.56 Tsubame – Outside – Clones and Fists – Hanabi  
11) No.65 Taki – Mansion – Mist – Naruto  
12) No.77 Aversa – Mansion – Seduction? – Naruto  
13) No.80 Nio – Outside – A Ladle? – Yume  
14) No.81 Tharja – Outside – Unknown? – Yume  
15) No.98 Iris – Outside – Telekinesis – Hanabi  
16) No.102 Yuri – Outside – Psionic – Yume  
17) No.108 Kusano – Mansion – Mokuton – Naruto (**Rescue Target**)

Hanabi noted that it was a pretty self-explanatory list. Hanabi compared the list of Sekirei, and the people assigned to deal with them, with the list that listed their locations. "You have the Sekirei split based on location." Hanabi mused, it was very logical. "You've basically divvied up the south into three quadrants centered on Mikogami Hayato's mansion. I've got the southern area, Akitsu has the northwest and Yume has the northeast."

"Yes, this makes it easier take out your targets. I put you in the south Hanabi because that's the furthest from this location. Your specialized training makes you the ideal candidate for that location." She'd have an easier time getting down there unseen, take out her targets, and head to the mansion than Akitsu and Yume.

"Of those seventeen Sekirei, eleven will be outside when the attack begins. That puts six in the mansion, four if you ignore the one the ANBU will take care of and Kusano. I will attack the mansion head on. The only Sekirei there that is of any note is Mutsu and I don't intend to play around with him this time." Of the other three Sekirei at the mansion only Blanc was a combat based Sekirei and he had a unique plan to deal with that one. She shouldn't be an issue.

"This puts you in a great deal of danger." Yume commented as she looked at the list of Sekirei and memorized the names of those she would terminate.

"We are all going to be in some degree of danger. There are simply too many Sekirei outside for any of you to join me in the assault and if I wait for you to finish outside and return Mikogami may go to ground. This must all be done simultaneously." Naruto explained.

Plus he wanted them to keep an eye out on the outside while he was inside the mansion freeing Kusano. After his Sekirei finished with their targets they were to gather at the mansion and keep a lookout and deal with any issues that could impede his ability to get Kusano to the safety of Charlie Point.

"I understand, I still don't have to like it." Yume replied. Yume looked over the map that had the routes mapped out for the various Sekirei. She memorized the routes of the Sekirei she had been designated. She'd have to move fast if she wanted to finish quickly enough to get to Naruto's side before he killed all the Sekirei in the mansion. She wouldn't be able to stay with the downed Sekirei long enough for MBI to pick them up. She would be forced to leave them alone.

She'd place them on rooftops so that they were easy to pick up and hard to get to.

What Yume didn't realize was that there would be a barrier around the mansion that would prevent her from getting in.

"Naruto is strong." Akitsu said. If she couldn't defeat some of Naruto's stronger clones then it meant he was more than powerful enough to handle himself.

Yume sighed, that was part of the problem. Naruto was too strong, it clouded his judgement at times, "Naruto-kun, could you please spare the Sekirei you meet? Just terminating them is enough, you don't need to out-right kill them." Yume asked.

Naruto stiffened for a moment and then relaxed. He had hoped she wouldn't ask that of him. He hated leaving live enemies behind him, but he hated upsetting his Sekirei even more. "You're asking a lot of me."

"I know."

"Mutsu and Mikogami both need to die, there can be no other alternative for those two."

Yume sighed softly and whispered, "I know." Those were two people that Naruto would never compromise on.

Naruto was silent for a few moments as he wrestled with himself, "I can't promise anything but…" Naruto took a deep breath, "If they become deactivated before I kill them, I won't finish them off and I won't chase them if they flee." He doubted they would flee, this was all he could promise her. Any more would risk the mission unnecessarily.

Yume smiled at her Ashikabi and hugged him tightly, "Thank you Naruto-kun." She understood just how hard this concession was for the scarred Shinobi. That put her mind at ease a little. There was now a small chance that the Sekirei in the manor would survive the war to come.

Naruto hugged her back, "Ah, anything for you Yume-chan."

Hanabi smirked, "You never could say no to your precious ones." Hanabi said. She personally intended to end the lives of all the Sekirei she met but Yume didn't need to know that.

"Oh hush." Naruto said with a pout. "Anyways it's time we got started."

Naruto bent forward and kissed Yume on the mouth. She returned the kiss as Naruto poured his chakra into Yume. Brilliant white wings burst from Yume's back as her Norito activated. Yume pulled away and arced backwards as heat filled her body. A soft glow enveloped her and her eyes opened, burning with vigor and power.

"This light of love that I wield. Overwhelm all that oppose my Ashikabi!" Yume shouted as the chakra flowing through her body shot through the roof.

Naruto turned to Hanabi and pulled her into his embrace. With a short squeak a startled Hanabi had her mouth captured by Naruto's. She melted into his embrace as she felt the chakra from him flow through her body. A brilliant blue light filled the room as baby blue petals sprouted from Hanabi's back in the shape of a multi-layered lotus.

As Hanabi pulled away from Naruto's embrace she was enveloped by the heat of the activated Norito. They had kissed many times before but it had never felt like this before. Words danced on her lips but she refrained from saying them. They sounded almost as bad as Yume's had.

"Are you not going to speak the incantation?" Yume asked after several moments of silence.

Hanabi blushed, "Erm, well, it's embarrassing."

"Oh come now Hanabi don't be shy." Naruto teased.

Hanabi bit her lip; the urge to speak the words was even stronger now. She glared at Naruto in mock anger just knowing this was his fault for some way. Hanabi growled and spoke the prayer of her Norito, "Oh blackness without beginning or end! Come forth to devour the all those that stand against my Ashikabi!" The chakra output from Hanabi's Sekirei core doubled as she finished speaking the words. The influx of power made her feel almost invincible.

Naruto grinned at Hanabi and the feeling of invincibility disappeared as she was consumed by embarrassment. Shouting out a technique was one thing, but that Norito prayer was just damn corny.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Yume said as she smiled at Hanabi. She didn't find anything wrong with the prayer, a little dark perhaps, but nothing inherently wrong.

Hanabi grumbled under her breath and let her cloak drop to the ground. She pulled her mask off her belt and placed it on her face. Her embarrassment instantly disappeared as she became a weapon. Hanabi disappeared and the ANBU Lotus came out.

Naruto approached Akitsu. "I know I can't enable your Norito just yet but…" Naruto trailed off as he bent down and kissed Akitsu just as passionately as he had the other two. "This is the least I can do until you're properly winged." Naruto finished as he slowly pulled away.

He was just including Akitsu because it would be rude to not. He most certainly didn't kiss her because he simply liked the taste of her lips.

With that taken care of it was show time. "Alright everyone, we're as ready as we'll ever be. It's time to teach a spoiled rich kid the harsh realities of life." Naruto said and his eyes hardened as he mentally prepared himself for the task ahead.

"Hokage, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" Lotus asked as she reached out and grabbed Naruto's sleeve before he could leave.

Naruto glanced over at Akitsu and Yume who had stopped to look at them curiously. Naruto waved them on, Lotus knew how important this mission was, she wouldn't delay him long, or for something insignificant.

Yume and Akitsu gave them their privacy and quickly left out the front entrance. Yume for one didn't mind as it gave her more time to take out her targets before Naruto started in on the mansion.

After the two had left Naruto turned to Lotus, "What's wrong?"

"Uzume's being blackmailed." Lotus started. Naruto's eyes went hard and flat at those three simple words. Lotus quickly continued on, this wasn't the time to beat around the bush or mince words. Her Hokage needed to know what she had seen this morning. "There was someone outside her Ashikabi's room talking with her this morning. She's being forced to terminate Sekirei against her will; if she doesn't comply they will cease to treat her Ashikabi, Chiho. Her Ashikabi has a problem with the flow of chakra through her coils. It's slowly killing her, even with the Hospital's treatment, but without it she'd be dead within a month."

Naruto cursed as he glared at the floor. Uzume was a friend, a good one at that. He'd have to do something about this. "Do you know whose blackmailing her? Or how to cure Chiho?" Naruto asked.

"No." Lotus said without emotion, "No names were spoken and there was no time to follow him to ascertain his affiliation. As for the Ashikabi's condition, I can treat the symptoms, not the cause. I can use my bloodline and my chakra control to make her chakra flow evenly again, but it's only a temporary measure. It doesn't fix the core issue; her body is producing an irregular amount of chakra. For most individuals chakra is produced at a constant, consistent, rate. Uzume's Ashikabi's body does not. There are times when it produces the normal amount of chakra required to live, and other times when it doesn't produce enough. This is slowly killing her. I can spread her chakra out evenly through her body but it doesn't stop the inconsistent generation of chakra in the first place."

Naruto brushed a hand through his hand and sighed. This was a frustrating issue and one he would definitely look into after tomorrow. He didn't know how to fix that problem but perhaps he could do something about Uzume's blackmail. "It's a shame you didn't have time to follow this man who's blackmailing Uzume. Do you think he'll return?"

"Yes, I am certain of it. It appears as if he has some plans for me as well." Lotus replied. Naruto's eyes because as hard as diamond. Blackmailing Uzume was one thing, but Hanabi was something completely different. As much as he cared about Uzume she didn't compare to his feelings for Hanabi. She had already been through enough, if she went through any more he may be inclined to take some rather extreme measures to ensure that people stopped screwing with him and his own. "He doesn't appear to be aware that I am well now. I intend to keep it that way. My clone will remain there at all times. He'll return, or someone linked to him. When that happens I'll get some answers, one way or another."

"Good, and see if you can figure out what it is they're doing to treat Chiho. Maybe we can find some way of producing it ourselves so that she doesn't need to rely on the Hospital."

"I will see what I can do." Lotus replied.

"Good, now let's go. We can talk about this more later, after we deal with Mikogami Hayato." Naruto said as he turned towards the exit. Lotus quickly fell into step behind him. Plans could be made to save Uzume and her Ashikabi later.

Right now it was time to go to war.

**x~X~x**

As Yume shot across the rooftops she thought back to the picture of her target. She looked like a young woman but looks could be deceiving. Her target was a Sekirei by the name of Nio. She had short brown hair, green eyes, and wore a very interesting floral patterned knee-length dress that had sections of purple, pink and white.

The only known weapon that she possessed was a ladle. It didn't seem much of a weapon to Yume but she had seen Miya lay someone out cold with hers so she wasn't about to discount it as completely feeble. Although Miya being Miya Yume doubted that the Sekirei she was about to combat would be anywhere near No. 00's level.

The information she had been given had said that Nio would be travelling by herself to a nearby produce center. Mikogami Hayato could no longer rely on regular maids to buy his groceries; they always seemed to end up in unfortunate accidents, so he had opted to send his Sekirei instead. Nio had been making this trip on a daily basis since the day after Naruto's clones had put Ayano in the Hospital.

Yume stopped as she caught sight of the Sekirei on the sidewalk below. Nio seemed to be unconcerned as she made her way to the nearby store. Yume quickly checked her surroundings to ensure that this wasn't a trap. She couldn't sense any hidden Sekirei, and she was sure that Naruto's ANBU clones would have informed her if there had been any major shifts.

Yume steeled herself and prepared to pounce on the unsuspecting Sekirei. "Sorry Nio, normally it's common courtesy to introduce myself and stand guard over you but there's no time." Yume summoned a large amount of chakra into her palm. The air around the hand began to warp and twist as it was sucked into the vortex forming in the center of her palm. "I'm sorry."

"Ether Blast!" Yume shouted as she thrust her open palm forward. A massive beam of energy lanced through the sky and slammed into the oblivious Sekirei. Nio cried out in pain as the energy slammed her into the ground. Massive cracks in the sidewalk began to form as it buckled under the pressure of Yume's sustained attack.

The random people in the area began to panic and bolted in every direction. Some were shouting that Japan was under attack. Regardless no one wanted to stick around.

Yume eased off the attack and let it dissipate into thin air. The attack had hit Nio from behind and had plowed her into the ground. The beam of energy had stripped her of all her clothing. Her naked body was nestled in a crater left behind by the attack. From this distance Yume could see the Sekirei crest rapidly disappearing.

She quickly jumped down and rushed over to Nio's side. She pressed a couple against the side of the Sekirei's neck and checked for a pulse. With a sigh of relief Yume could feel one. She hadn't expected Nio to go down that quickly or that easily. Yume quickly picked the downed Sekirei up and leapt back to the rooftop she had just been on and settled her comfortably in a hidden location behind the satellite dish.

Yume mentally apologized one last time before she bolted over the rooftops again and headed for her second target.

**x~X~x**

"You! You're the scrapped number that was stolen from Mikogami-sama!" Mitsuha shouted as she pointed at Akitsu angrily.

Mitsuha was the whip wielding Sekirei that Naruto had faced off against during the Kusano Incident. She was indirectly responsible for the pain Naruto had to suffer because of it. This was one Sekirei Akitsu had no intention of going easy on.

Akitsu had found her pretty easily. She had already seen her once before so knew what to look for. Between that and the spot on information Naruto's ANBU clones had given her she had easily found Mitsuha. The whip wielding Sekirei had been patrolling a small section of the south just to the northwest of the manor. It was more a show of force to keep the other Ashikabi in the south in check than anything else.

It also made her very easy to find.

"I am Akitsu Yuki and Naruto-sama is my Ashikabi." Akitsu said monotonously as she slowly approached her target. "My Ashikabi has deemed you a threat to be eliminated."

"Don't think you can beat me just because you're a scrapped number!" Mitsuha shouted as she pulled her whip out and snapped it in the air.

"No, I will defeat you because that is what Naruto-sama desires." Akitsu replied.

"Shut up!" Mitsuha shouted as she cracked her whip at Akitsu. The whip lashed across Akitsu's chest and froze in place. "What the hell!" Mitsuha shouted as she tried to pull the whip back only to find it stuck fast. Ice began to creep along the length of whip.

Mitshua's eyes widened in surprise and she quickly dropped the whip before the ice could reach her. "What the hell was that! I gotta get out of here!" Mitsuha shouted, her bravado all but gone now.

"I won't let you leave." Akitsu's voice came from behind her.

Mitsuha whirled around in surprise to see a second Akitsu approaching her from behind. She was about to jump away when a thousand shards of ice appeared in the air all around her. She was completely encircled in all directions.

"W-wait a minute." Mitsuha stuttered.

Akitsu said nothing and just stared at Mitsuha with the expressionless face. Akitsu raised her open hand and held it up before her with the open palm facing her target. "It's over." She said as she clenched her hand shut into a fist.

Mitsuha didn't even have time to scream before a thousand shards of ice slammed into her body. Every point was aimed to converge on her Sekirei Core. Blood splashed across the landscape as Mitsuha's body was torn into pieces.

The only thing that remained when Akitsu turned to leave was a blood stained ice sculpture of a spiked ball.

**x~X~x**

Lotus' current target was Ikki. Ikki was a Sekirei who specialized in dual-sword combat, specifically kodachi's. This would make her a deadly close range combatant if she had any sort of real proficiency in her weapons of choice.

Appearance wise her target had short, neck-length purple hair and blue eyes. She wore a green skin tight sleeveless shirt with a pair of dark thigh length spandex shorts. The number nineteen was proudly tattooed on her left leg.

Lotus had no intention of fighting Ikki. To her this wasn't about one-on-one Sekirei battles. To her all she had were four targets for assassination. It had been awhile since she had taken on the role of Lotus. Not since the Elemental Nations had she participated in an operation as a true ANBU Black-Ops.

The notes she had been given mentioned the route Ikki would take on her patrol today. It also mentioned that she enjoyed travelling from rooftop to rooftop. It would make finding her very easy.

A flicker of color caught Lotus' attention. She whipped her head to the side a noticed someone in a green shirt overlooking the main street from a rooftop nearby. She double checked her location and moved in.

It seemed Naruto's ANBU were right on the mark. Lotus didn't even need to confirm her identity. Between the location, the clothing and the obvious Sekirei core that Lotus could see glowing from within this was obviously her target.

A few seconds later Lotus silently landed on the rooftop behind the Sekirei. Her footfalls didn't even make a whisper on the gravel roof as she glided across it. Her presence was completely concealed and she was downwind. Even if Ikki were to turn around she wouldn't even register Lotus' presence. The poor woman was dead and she didn't even know it.

As Lotus sidled up behind Ikki she paused for a moment. She almost wanted to say 'Boo'. Just to see how high she could make the Sekirei jump. It would definitely be something to remember.

But she was here to do a job. She could startle people later. She raised a hand and placed it palm open just behind her heart. With a sudden burst of chakra a massive spike erupted from her tenketsu on her hand and tore through the Sekirei.

Ikki jerked and coughed up some blood. She looked down incredulously at the massive blood-stained energy spike that was sticking out from her chest. Even as she looked on the last few pieces of her once beating heart were being vaporized by the intense chakra.

As the chakra spike disappeared she slumped to the ground. She coughed up one last gout of blood and toppled over sideways.

By the time the last vestige of life left Ikki, Lotus was already long gone.

**x~X~x**

"Looks like things are heating up." Arthain said as he quickly unfurled the scroll. If he knew Naruto as well as he thought he did then he knew that things would move quickly. While the seal used in this chakra transfer process was definitely better and more streamlined than the one Naruto had used on Yashima it would still take almost ten to fifteen minutes to transfer the entire core from the Sekirei to Sasha.

"Further clarification: Naruto and his Sekirei have begun. An added explanation: I have already detected the disappearance of three Sekirei." Sasha said. She helped Arthain stretched the scroll out to its full length and then proceeded to lay down on the left side. "My first question: Are we ready yet?"

"Ya, I think so." Arthain said as he dragged the unconscious Sekirei to the other side of the scroll.

This Sekirei was definitely unique in his opinion. Her dress was almost as bad as Sasha's, in a way it was worse. Sasha's clothing looked like she was cosplaying, so it would get some snickers and comments but that was about it. This Sekirei dressed like she was a dominatrix.

The Sekirei had the most interesting hair. The waist length hair started a dark blue at the base of her scalp but it grew lighter as it got longer. She had flawless perfect skin and incredibly vibrant red eyes. She wore six inch black high heels with the standard dominatrix garter set. Her legs were covered in skin tight black latex that went all the way up to the middle of her thighs. From there it split off and circled up and around the outside of her legs. Her nether regions were covered with what Arthain wanted to assume was a bikini bottom but it seemed almost 'too' skimpy for that. However instead of curving around to her back it arced upwards and met the fabric from her legs. From there it was buckled to a black corset that did very little to hide her ample assets. A pair of straps went her chest from the corset and connected to a collar around her neck that had her number and a Sekirei crest on it. The entire ensemble was topped off with a pair of black earrings and some gloves that went up to her shoulders.

She had also been a very powerful Sekirei. He didn't know what kind of power she possessed but damn could she whip shit around when she had gone into a frenzy. Apparently she didn't like being back-talked to. Did she really expect him to turn around and bend over for her? He was only glad that Sasha had been able to come up behind her while she was raging on him and knock her out before things got really out of hand. He wasn't really in the mood to assume 'the position' as she put it.

"There I'm ready." Arthain said as he placed his hands in the center of the scroll and activated the transfer sequence. Arthain watched as his chakra raced across the seal and activated the process. An extra addition that Arthain had added to the scroll was consciousness seal. It would actually lock the consciousness away so that it wasn't aware of what was occurring to the body. The pain receptors would flare, but there wouldn't be anyone or anything to interpret it at the source.

"My observation: It appears as if the array we placed within our bodies was designed correctly. An added explanation: I do not detect any sort of disturbance in my chakra pathways." Sasha said a few minutes into the procedure.

"That's good to know." Arthain said as he monitored the flow of chakra from Iris into his wife. "There is one thing I'm slightly disappointed about."

"My second question: What is that?"

"Both you and this Sekirei are dressed in very revealing clothing. Neither of you needed your tops removed for this procedure to work."

"My third question: Are you saying you wish to stare at that Sekirei's naked chest?" Sasha asked. Her voice took on a dark and ominous tone. "My fourth question: Do you desire that I put myself on display for the world to see?" Her voice grew even darker.

Arthain paled and sweat became to stream down his face, "Ah-ha, no, no that's not it at all." Arthain hurriedly said, "Sometimes I get my merds wixed, you know how it is."

"My first response: Then explain what you mean." Sasha demanded.

Arthain swallowed hard and looked around for a distraction, "Ah I need to concentrate on this transfer. We don't want anything to go wrong do we?" Arthain asked nervously.

Sasha's eyes tried to bore a hole into Arthain's skull. She did not look amused. Who knew someone that enjoyed walking around with that much skin on display on a busy street would take having her tits exposed on an empty rooftop so badly? "My second response: We will talk later, tonight, at length."

"Ah fuck my life."

"An added explanation: You may wish that I had before I am done with you." Well that was an ominous pronouncement if Arthain had ever heard any.

**x~X~x**

"Two down." Lotus whispered as she stared down into the lifeless eyes of Tsubame. The file on this Sekirei had mentioned she had a special technique capable of making clones of herself. Unfortunately for her they weren't Shadow Clones and Hanabi was more than capable of spotting the real Tsubame amongst the different copies that she had running around.

Like Ikki she hadn't even noticed Lotus until it was too late. She was dead now as a result. Well, the result would have been the same regardless. Tsubame had no skills worth worrying about and her experience was next to non-existent.

Still that was two down; it was time to move onto her last target. She had been given four originally but she had seen Iris get taken down on her way to Tsubame. She had been quite surprised to see that Naruto's other clones, Arthain and Sasha, were on the move as well.

Naruto would need to be informed of these new developments but for the moment she needed to focus on taking out her last target. While what Arthain and Sasha were doing to the Sekirei was very interesting indeed, it didn't hinder their plans in the slightest. If anything it moved them along more quickly since there was one less Sekirei for her to deal with.

**x~X~x**

All Yume could think of as she stared at her target was if all the Sekirei in the Sekirei Plan Tharja must be the one with the most revealing clothing. Even if modesty wasn't something most Sekirei concerned their selves with there should still be limits. Tharja only wore five pieces of skimpy clothing: A pair of open-top strap sandals, a thick gold belt that went around her waist with a black loincloth to protect her modesty, a black bikini top, a black cloak that just hung from her shoulders and covered nothing and a full body length sheer material that covered everything from her toes to her hands but concealed nothing. You could see right through it. All it did was tint her skin a darker color.

She was revealing more skin than some women even had.

Still despite her clothing, or lack thereof, Yume would have to treat her seriously. Tharja was one of the few Sekirei they had no knowledge of when it came to their powers. She was the only Sekirei without any visible weapon no physical traits that could hint as to her abilities. This meant she had either an elemental or force base power, one that she has yet to use.

Her target was peering intently through the window of an electronic store. Her lips appeared to be moving but she was too far away for Yume to pick out the words. However the way she grinned as she stared at a miniature camera was kind of creepy.

Yume wanted to avoid property damage but this was hardly the time to be picky. Besides she could always coerce MBI into paying for the repairs.

Like with Nio, Yume didn't have the time to show Tharja any of the normal Sekirei pleasantries. The air around Yume's fist crackled and glowed with a brilliant white light as the energy gathered in the center of her palm. With an expression of grim determination Yume thrust her palm forward and pointed it at the unaware Sekirei. There was a massive spike of chakra as the ball expanded for a moment before a huge beam of energy blasted towards Tharja.

Just before the beam slammed into the Sekirei however a shield of pure darkness erupted up around Yume's target. Yume's eyes widened in surprise as her attack slammed into the shield and stopped.

The shockwave and subsequent wind storm generated from the beam attack rippled outwards and blasted everything in the area away. As Yume's energy beam struggled against Tharja's barrier the area around her began to peel away and disintegrate. Yume's eyes widened in horror as the storefront near her target began to buckle and collapse. She quickly stopped her attack but it was too late as the store began to collapse in on its self and trapped those still inside.

"That's not very nice." Tharja shouted in a dark tone as she let the shield drop from around her. She had a very unhappy look in her eyes.

Yume jumped from the top of the building she had been sitting on and landed near her. "I'm No. 08 Yume, and I'm sorry for the sneak attack but I don't have time to properly introduce myself."

"That's not what I was talking about!" Tharja shouted. "How am I supposed to get the cameras I need to spy on my dear Mikogami-sama now that you've ruined this store!" Tharja was beyond pissed. It had taken her months to find the store with the right equipment for her needs.

Yume blinked in surprise, she didn't care about the surprise attack? "You only care about the equipment? What about the people?"

"What of them? They're worthless scum, only my Mikogami-sama is worthy of my attention."

"No one is worthless!" Yume shouted as she attacked Tharja, "Everyone deserves to be loved!"

"Love is useless! All I want is my Mikogami-sama's body!" Tharja screamed as she conjured orbs of pure darkness around her. She swiped her hand across the front of her and the orbs shot towards the oncoming Yume.

Yume easily dodged the projectiles but she wasn't prepared for the next surprise that Tharja had in store. The darkness based Sekirei brought her other hand up and clenched her fist. The orbs nearest Yume instantly expanded in size.

Yume had just enough time to brace herself before the orbs exploded and knocked her away. She didn't have time to relax as a dozen more blasts shot at her. She easily evaded these as well. This time she was more prepared when the closest orbs exploded.

The two kept this up for a few minutes. Yume tried her best to close the distance and Tharja used everything at her disposal to keep Yume away.

This Sekirei was apparently her opposite. While she was light, Tharja was darkness. While she excelled in close range combat, Tharja excelled in long range. If she could only get close enough to land a single blow this would be over.

Unfortunately Tharja knew that and was doing everything in her power to keep her away. Yume knew she could outlast her opponent in a battle of attrition, but she had places to be and a schedule to keep.

"It seems like you're having some trouble." An ANBU Squad member said as he suddenly appeared beside Yume.

Yume glanced over at the clone of Naruto. "It's the setting. I can't go full out without seriously endangering human lives and she won't let me close enough to go hand-to-hand."

"Well you can't keep dodging forever and while you may care about human life, she doesn't." The ANBU said as he looked around. Tharja truly didn't care. The orbs that Yume had dodged and hadn't exploded in her face hadn't simply dissipated afterwards, they had kept going. Some had slammed into buildings, others had destroyed cars.

Yume followed the ANBU's gaze as well and quickly checked her surroundings. He was right. The entire place was being destroyed. It was probably now in worse condition than it would have been had she not eased up on her attack earlier.

Yume's breath hitched in her throat as she saw something just inside one of the ruined buildings. It was a child, no more than seven years old, and she was lying still on the cold tile floor just inside the ruined toy store. Yume didn't need to see her lifeless eyes to know that she was dead.

Because the other half of her was up against a wall, twelve feet away.

Yume bowed her head as tears began to leak from her eyes, "Naruto." Yume whispered, her voice had gone cold and hard, "All humans and all Sekirei deserve love. But that monster over there… I refuse to accept that she is either." She raised her head and stared at the ANBU with tearful eyes, "Kiss me."

"Your Norito is still active-."

Before he could say any more Yume ripped off his mask and pressed her lips roughly against his. To say that the ANBU member was surprised would be an understatement. Still he didn't resist as chakra poured from him into Yume. The ANBU had been under the impression that once a Norito was active that was it, no more could be done. But he was proven wrong. He could almost hear an audible click as all the limiters were released inside Yume.

A massive pillar of light erupted from Yume as her Sekirei Core went into overdrive. The ground cracked and splintered from the force of the chakra. The air whipped around Yume in a frenzy as her chakra began to disturb the local weather patterns. If Naruto had been trying to keep this war against Mikogami Hayato a secret before, well it wasn't a secret any more. You'd have to be blind not to see the pillar of light piercing the heavens.

The ANBU quickly jumped back and whistled in surprise. If he hadn't known any better he'd have thought that Yume had just ripped open all eight celestial gates. The amount of chakra that rolled off her body was intense. She was easily wielding enough chakra to match Shukaku.

Tharja stepped back warily as she prepared to defend herself against the assault to come. This didn't look good. Even she knew when she had pushed someone too far.

"It is time to end this battle!" Yume shouted as her chakra peaked. What appeared to be a large runic symbol appeared in the sky above Tharja. The symbol glowed with a brilliant sapphire blue color. In the very center of the symbol was the outline of a circle in the center of a six pointed star. Rotating around the star were three more glowing circles, each with multiple concentric circles within resembling that of a Rinnegan. The entire symbol was enclosed within another brilliant blue circle.

"Hearken the angel's summons!" Yume continued to chant. The ANBU's eyes widened in surprise as the symbol got larger. He suddenly realized it was actually a massive seal. He could see the written symbols and lines. Any further analysis was impossible however as it quickly became too bright to look at. Lances of pure light blasted from the seal in the sky and slammed into Tharja who had just enough time to erect her barrier around her again. Each lance of light came faster and stronger than the one before.

"The true path shall guide you to find peace in ANNIHILATION!" The barrier around Tharja cracked and exploded unable to take the concentrated assault anymore. Six orbs of pure energy shot down and circled around the now vulnerable Sekirei and lifted her up into the sky. Tharja screamed in pain when she came into contact with the seal.

"**DIVINE ASSAULT:** **ETHER DESTRUCTION!**" Yume cried out in a thunderous voice as she finished her Norito incantation. As the seal collapsed in upon its self a massive sphere of spinning energy formed in its place and consumed Tharja. With a force strong enough to shake buildings miles away the blast slammed the Sekirei back into the ground. The ground cratered beneath the onslaught. Any cry of pain Tharja could have made was drowned out by the whistling of hurricane force winds as the blast exploded in a massive burst of energy.

Yume didn't even wait for the dust to settle before she turned around and walked away. If Tharja lived through that, then there was nothing else she could do.

Not that she expected that monster to live through it. Yume doubted even Miya could have survived that without some serious injury. Of course Miya wouldn't have gotten caught in such an attack in the first place but that was beside the point.

Yume turned to the ANBU Squad member. His mask was back on his face now. "Can you check for survivors? I need to hurry on to my next target." Yume asked. She wanted to stay and help the humans that were injured but the compulsion to follow her Ashikabi's orders conflicted with said desire.

"Go on ahead, I'll check for any survivors." The clone said. He could just make a few shadow clones to check things out; he himself didn't need to stay here. "You're not going to make sure she doesn't die?" The ANBU squad member asked as he jerked a thumb over towards the crater.

"I have no sympathy for monsters." Yume said dispassionately as she turned to leave. She paused for a moment and smiled at Naruto's clones, "And thank you." With that she jumped to a nearby rooftop. She really couldn't care less what happened to that thing she left behind in that crater but she did care about the innocent people caught up in her battle.

The ANBU turned and regarded the downed Sekirei in the crater, or what was left of her. It seemed there were a few buttons you just did not push when you were dealing with Yume. Killing innocent children was apparently one of them.

"I can't wait to see what sort of cover story MBI creates for THIS." The ANBU said as he made a few shadow clones. The clones quickly used a henge to disguise themselves as random people and started to dig through the rubble to find survivors.

With one last look at the crater the ANBU chuckled and disappeared.

**x~X~x**

Mitsuki ran into her room grumbling to herself. Something was going on, some very bad. Her Ashikabi Mikogami Hayato was panicking about something and had demanded that every Sekirei get ready for battle.

She had no idea what was going on but something had rattled him very badly and she didn't like to see him like that.

The puppy she had named 'Fluffy' yawned and stretched as he watched his 'master' run around the room in a panic. She had obviously just come out of the bath judging from her wet hair and the towel she had around her body. He watched as she threw the towel covering her naked body across the room and began to look through her drawers for her clothing.

The puppy admired the great view of her backside. He took a dozen mental pictures as she bent over to put on her panties. That perfect view of her most private of places was simply exquisite. The boss would definitely want to review these memories in private at some later date. With so many bad memories coming his way from the Namikaze Squad and Sakura he figured Naruto was due for a few good images.

Oh, that was another good image as he watched Mitsuki turn around. Standing there with only a pair of panties giving him a full frontal view was simply amazing. He barked approvingly.

"Aww mister Fluffy!" Mitsuki cried happily as she ran over to the bed and picked him up. She squeezed him between her breasts and he melted in her embrace. Oh yes these were definitely going to be some good memories for boss. "I'm happy to see you too. I'll make sure to treat you to some good food after everything settles down!"

"Bark! Bark!" The puppy barked happily as he licked her nipple. She tasted like apples, probably scented body wash.

"Ahaha, that tickles! Stop that." Mitsuki said as she placed him back down on the bed. "I need to finish getting dressed."

It was almost a shame that she had to be eliminated. When she wasn't fanatically following Mikogami Hayato's orders she was no different than any other teenage girl. It almost made him wonder just how much of her real personality was being subverted or suppressed by her bond to that rich spoiled brat.

His original plan had been to kill her quickly and violently to leave a message but he couldn't bring himself to do it, not anymore. He had planned to playfully jump into her arms and transform into a tiger in mid-leap and tear her throat out.

He couldn't do that anymore.

All she needed was something quick, something soft, something gentle. She didn't need to die a bloody violent death. Perhaps she didn't need to die at all.

The puppy jumped off the bed and gently opened the door to the room. Mitsuki in her haste had forgotten to close it all the way. The puppy had a lot of spare time to himself. Mitsuki was often out on missions or assignments for her Ashikabi.

It had given him time to rig her room.

Once outside he transformed back into his ANBU form. He gently closed the door and brought his hand up into a sign. "Seal!" He murmured. There was a flash of light and a soft, almost inaudible, hum started up behind him. The seal would keep her, and anyone that entered the room, locked in stasis until the seal was undone.

When Mikogami Hayato was killed she would undergo a level 1 termination. It was all the kindness he was allowed to afford her.

"Effective but wouldn't it have been easier to simply kill her?" The ANBU Squad captain said as he appeared beside the ANBU member.

"Perhaps, but I'm beginning to realize that Kusano isn't the only Sekirei that Mikogami forced himself on. I can't kill her just because she happened to be taken by force by the wrong man." The ANBU member replied as he turned away from the entrance and regarded his captain sadly.

The Squad captain clamped a hand on his member's shoulder. He understood as well. After observing Mikogami Hayato's Sekirei for the last week he had come to the same conclusion. "Well the method was left to you and this is as effective as any other. I won't judge you on it. Come, let's go help Sakura and Ino finish up."

The squad member nodded and the two ANBU faded into the shadows.

**x~X~x**

A bright light momentarily blinded everyone in the helicopter. There was a massive boom and the occupants could see a cloud of dust rising in the distance amongst the ruins of several buildings.

"We've lost another one!" An MBI worker said as he monitored another Sekirei termination.

"What the hell is going on here?" Takami growled in frustration as she monitored the same information as the worker. Eight terminations, there had already been eight terminations today. The helicopters haven't even reached the first downed Sekirei yet although they were approaching the first one now.

She was in said helicopter as it flew to the southern area of Shinto Teito. The day had started off innocuous enough. Word had reached her at MBI that several large underground factions had begun fighting in the streets of southern Shinto Teito.

Normally it wouldn't be anything that MBI bothered with but today they had gotten word that they had begun to hire some free-lance Ashikabi and their Sekirei to help them in their 'little war'. There were at least a dozen Ashikabi with Sekirei that were willing to get their hands dirty for a little bit of extra money.

Needless to say it was expected that there would be a few terminations in such a situation. Eight in the span of two hours was a bit beyond what they had expected.

Especially since six of them belong to Hayato Mikogami, the Ashikabi of the South. She didn't know of anyone that was reckless enough to attack someone with that many Sekirei at their disposal.

Wait, that was wrong. Takami quickly went over the details of the terminations a second time. Most of them were level 5 terminations. She did in fact know one Ashikabi that was that insane.

"Kami damn you Naruto!" Takami shouted at the laptop. She just KNEW it had to be him.

They could see the buildings shake briefly as a strong tremor rippled through the city. "Oh my god we got another level 5 termination! It's No. 05 Mutsu! It's at Mikogami Hayato's Mansion!" The MBI worker gasped in horror. The employee couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of person could assault the very home of Mikogami Hayato and take out someone like Mutsu.

Takami blanched. Mutsu was one of the strongest Sekirei in the Sekirei Plan. This was a nightmare; this was more than the Sekirei rescue squad could handle alone. She quickly reached for her phone and called headquarters. "I want MBI fully mobilized! Get EVERYTHING we have down to the south now! I want all combat personnel not already engaged in operations on the way within 15! That includes the Disciplinary Squad!"

Takami didn't wait for a response and quickly hung up. This was bad, this was very bad.

"Oh dear Kami we just lost two more!"

She twitched violently. She needed to get her forces down here as quickly as possible. With this many Sekirei already terminated, and the possibility of a dozen or more. It would take all day for MBI to recover those bodies by normal means. They were spread all over the south.

That was more than enough time for foreign interests to get wind of this and make their move.

**x~X~x**

Akitsu knew she was going to have to be more cautious with her next target. Say'ri and Yen'fay were brother and sister. They always traveled together. This meant she would need to fight both of them at the same time.

It should be relatively easy for her to spot the two in a crowd. They both dressed like samurai pulled from ancient times. Say'ri had two swords belted to her waist, although she only ever used one at a time. The second sword was probably a spare.

Her brother Yen'fay had a total of four swords, two strapped across his back and two buckled to his waist. He used two simultaneously and from what Akitsu could gather from the notes was the more dangerous of the two. Say'ri was hesitant to go for fatal or crippling wounds, Yen'fay wouldn't hesitate to do just that.

However it also mentioned that Say'ri had the tendency to overreact if Yen'fay got hurt.

It would be best to take her out first and deal with Yen'fay second. She would be an easy target so long as her brother was still fighting strong. Whereas her brother wouldn't get any more dangerous with her gone, if anything he would become more reckless.

Akitsu's attention was jerked from her thoughts as she noticed an oddity on an outdoor patio across the street. There were a couple eating an early lunch at one of the restaurants that lined the street. The two matched the description she had been given earlier.

Akitsu started to make her way across the street. About half way across a bright light lit up the eastern sky. Everyone stopped to peer east in curiosity, including her two targets.

Akitsu took advantage of their momentary distraction. Dozens of ice shards appeared around her and shot towards Say'ri and Yen'fay. The loud crack of thunder that followed the flash of light drowned out the initial screams of those around her as her attacks converged on the two Sekirei.

Yen'fay caught some movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to look. His expression quickly transitioned from shock to anger. He reacted with a quickness that only a Sekirei could replicate as he leapt from his chair and threw his table at Akitsu.

The shards of ice tore through the impromptu barrier, ending its flight early, but it had done its task and had gained the two Sekirei enough time to prepare for the attack.

The random passerby's began to scream in terror as they fled the scene. No one wanted to stick around when someone was throwing around razor sharp chunks of ice like that.

"Damn you! Whose Sekirei are you? Why are you attacking us?" Yen'fay shouted.

"I am Akitsu Yuki and Naruto-sama wants you terminated." Akitsu replied as she created more shards of ice and fired them at the pair of Sekirei.

Yen'fay stepped in front of his sister and began to deflect the pieces of ice to the side. His hands and arms were a blur of movement as he wielded his weapons with precision.

"Damn you! Say'ri! Get ready to attack, I'll stop her ice." Yen'fay shouted as he took a step forward.

"Yes nii-san." Say'ri said as she crouched and placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. The two always worked together like this: One on offense and the other on defense. Normally she kept the enemy occupied while her brother went on the offensive but this time she would do the attacking.

A tremor rippled through the ground and caused most people to lose their footing. Akitsu and the other two Sekirei were the only ones that didn't. Akitsu could hear dogs barking in the distance and car alarms started to go off all over the place.

The ground nearby cracked and splinted as the water main just a few meters to the left of them exploded. A massive amount of water began to gush from the crack. That was unusual and potentially very bad. Ice was just frozen water and with that much extra water spraying into the air…

Their fears became a reality as Akitsu took command of the new water source. The water that rushed from the water main coalesced into a massive ice based attacked. It looked very much like the end of a meat tenderizer, only the pointed ends were much longer and far sharper.

With a mental command the massive ice tenderizer shot towards Say'ri.

"Move!" Yen'fay shouted a warning to his sister.

Say'ri didn't need to be told twice. She turned and tried to jump away only to find that she was stuck in place. She stared down at her feet curiously, her eyes widened in disbelief at what she saw. Latched onto her ankles was a pair of hands sticking up from the ground.

"Say'ri! RUN!" Yen'fay yelled, he couldn't understand why she hadn't moved yet. He couldn't see the hands that had latched onto her ankles. She had just enough time to turn her head and mouth 'Goodbye'.

With an audible crunch the impromptu hammer slammed into Say'ri. It continued on and carried her up into the air before it did 180 degree turn and slammed her back into the ground.

"NO!" Yen'fay cried out in horror.

The stream of ice that extended from the broken water main shattered into a thousand shards. Suddenly Yen'fay no longer had time to worry about his downed sister as the ice began to converge on him from all sides.

He became a blur of movement as he dodged, parried and cut down the icicle projectiles. Akitsu kept the assault up for several minutes before she finally eased off the attack.

Yen'fay was still standing, but he was in no condition to keep fighting. None of her attacks had made any critical hits but he was covered in hundreds of gashes, cuts, scrapes and bruises. He gazed at Akitsu for a long moment. Sorrow, Anger, pain and ultimately respect all flashed through his eyes before he toppled over, unconscious.

Akitsu made her way over to the two down Sekirei and checked them. Say'ri was obviously in worse condition than Yen'fay. She was still alive, but wouldn't be for much longer unless MBI got to her quickly. Hers was definitely a level 4 deactivation.

Yen'fay had fared much better but ultimately he was deactivated as well. Judging by his wounds it was a level 3 deactivation.

Akitsu debated on whether or not she should stand guard over her two fallen brethren. She technically wasn't supposed to be a part of the Sekirei Plan, yet it was common courtesy to stand guard anyways. However her Ashikabi was off assaulting the headquarters of Mikogami Hayato and may need her help.

That decided it for her. As much as she wished to respect the fallen Sekirei her Ashikabi's safety took priority. With a slight bow she turned and jumped to the nearby rooftop and headed for the manor.

After Akitsu had left an ANBU squad member pulled himself up from beneath the patio stones. "She's becoming very skilled." The ANBU said as he picked up the two fallen Sekirei. "I should get these two to a safer place." He murmured as he left to find a better place to put the two Sekirei down.

**x~X~x**

A bright light flashed in the distanced which was quickly followed by a peal of thunder. Arthain and Sasha both turned their heads to the south curiously.

"Damn things are starting to get rowdy around here." Arthain said as he tried to crane his head to get a better look. The buildings blocked his view of it but that still stop him from trying.

"My suggestion: Stop moving or you will mess up the transfer." Sasha said as she brought her focus back to the chakra transfer.

The Sekirei they had found had very unique powers. They had originally intended to find just anyone but Arthain had always wanted to be a Protoss and those psionic blades were just too awesome to pass up.

Their target also happened to be male, which Arthain felt was appropriate because he wasn't sure he wanted to know what sort of odd reaction would come from inserting a Core from a female Sekirei into his male body.

Despite all this the major deciding factor had been that they were running out of options.

They had actually been very lucky to find this Sekirei. Naruto and his own Sekirei were quickly mowing down Hayato Mikogami's forces. The operation was going far more quickly than either of them had anticipated.

They had both assumed it would take the majority of the day to complete. They had underestimated just how predictable and how weak most of Hayato's Sekirei were. Naruto's own forces were able to find and take their targets out quickly.

Or perhaps it was just that Naruto's Sekirei, and Hanabi, were incredibly strong.

It was almost frightening at how well this operation was going. Arthain was almost certain that a massive shit storm was on the way. Nothing ever just went 'right' for Naruto. SOMETHING always went wrong somehow somewhere. His entire life had been one shit storm followed by another. There was no way this would be any different.

This scared him quite a bit if he had to be honest with himself. When something went this right, it just meant that something 'that bad' was on its way.

"I think we may need to stick around after this." Arthain said thoughtfully.

"My first question: Why do you say that? An added explanation: The plan was to get out of Shinto Teito after the successful transfers." Sasha asked. Sticking around after doing this was going to cause some major problems. MBI probably shat bricks after what Naruto had done to Yashima. Now they were doing it a second and a third time.

MBI would have to move after this. They may be able to disregard a single lost core as an isolated case. But to have multiple go missing?

"Because a massive shit storm is coming." Arthain said as he stared up at the sky. Even the clouds were beginning to roll in. It was supposed to be sunny all day long yet he could tell it wasn't going to stay that way for long. "There are too many things going right all at once. It's scaring me. Naruto may need our help again before the end of this. Maybe he'll be more accepting of our desire for independence if we help him? I have no intention of staying long, just until Naruto and his Sekirei are safely back at Charlie Point."

Sasha was about to protest when a strong tremor shook the building they were on. The two of them exchanged worried glances.

So maybe there was a giant 'shit storm' as her husband put it on the way.

Sasha grimaced and sighed, "My first response: Alright, we'll stay and keep watch from a distance. If they need help we'll help. I just hope Hanabi doesn't see us and reveal us to Naruto."

"Well we know the path they plan to take from the mansion back to the hide out. We can just make sure it's clear and stay a good distance ahead of them. If shit looks like it'll get out of hand we can hurry back and lend a hand." He still felt a strong sense of loyalty towards Naruto. He probably always would. It just didn't feel right to up and leave like this. It really seemed like they were just using his attack as a distraction to achieve their own goals in contrary to Naruto's.

If they stuck around to help out after the fact, it would show that it wasn't just for their sole benefit.

He just hoped that the crazy shit that followed Naruto around all over the place didn't follow them as well.

**x~X~x**

Lotus was unsure how well Akitsu and Yume were faring but she knew at least one of them was still putting up a good fight. The large flash of light and sound of thunder that had echoed past her thirty minutes past was a good indication that things had begun to heat up on the other fronts. She just hoped that attack wasn't aimed at one of them.

The flash of light had been followed soon after by a strong tremor. She could tell it had originated from the mansion. Naruto was obviously ramping up his attack there. She needed to take out her last target and get there as soon as possible.

Thankfully there shouldn't be any issues with this target. She never intended for there to be any real combat. If her target saw her coming then she had failed as an ANBU and needed to retrain.

Her last target was Himeko. She was a Sekirei that wore a long kimono and wielded a very unique double sided bladed weapon. Her only other noticeable attributes were a pair of fingerless gloves, dark eyes and black hair that was tied back with a ribbon.

Of all the Sekirei on the list Himeko would normally be the most difficult to find. If she hid the weapon inside her kimono she could very easily blend in with the crowd. There weren't any real unique defining features that separated her from a regular citizen.

Unfortunately for Himeko Lotus knew her planned route for the day. Even if it deviated slightly there was no escaping from Lotus. With her Byakugan activated she could see everything within ten miles of her. And with the Sekirei core acting like a beacon Lotus could easily track her down even in the largest crowd.

She found her target listening to a street side musician. Oddly there were tears in her eyes but Lotus couldn't determine the exact cause.

In the end it didn't matter. Soon she wouldn't feel anything.

Lotus performed a quick **Henge no Jutsu** and transformed her appearance into that of a plain, nondescript woman with no remarkable attributes. She was so plain that she didn't even need to hide her presence; people would just naturally tune her out.

But she did anyways and for all intents and purposes became invisible.

As Lotus neared the musician she had to admit that regardless of everything else the man was at least skilled. Why he had been reduced to roadside peddling for coins was quite odd. While she wasn't an audiophile she knew that at the very least he was better than some of the 'professional' musicians she had heard.

Lotus pushed that from her mind as she crossed behind Himeko. With a quick chakra spike she attacked Himeko's heart and destroyed it. Lotus kept on walking away even as Himeko collapsed onto the ground behind her. It had been quick and painless. Himeko had died instantly. If anyone were to analyze the Sekirei later it would appear as if she had died of a massive heart attack.

With all her targets dealt with Lotus took to the rooftops and headed north.

Her destination: Mikogami Hayato's mansion.

She never noticed the musician pick up the fallen Sekirei and head into a nearby alley. Without his music he was so plain and nondescript that even the most observant of individual would overlook and ignore him.

**x~X~x**

As Yume quickly made her way towards her destination she thought back to an earlier conversation. An ANBU agent had informed her when she was on her way to intercept Vert that the Namikaze Squad had already dealt with Yuri. There had been an odd tone to the ANBU's voice as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. She personally didn't care. It was fine with her; she wanted to get to her Ashikabi's side as quickly as possible. Yume assumed that the ANBU would have mentioned that Yuri had been 'killed' or 'eliminated' if it had been a level 5 termination; 'dealt with' usually implied something less final.

"I take it you're the Sekirei that's been going around taking out my sisters?" A motherly voice interrupted her musing.

Yume skidded to a stop on the rooftop and turned to stare at the woman who was leaning against the wall beside the door leading to the rooftop. The woman wore a fully length green dress with black trim that flared open at the sides to expose long, creamy legs. The top of the dress was open to reveal ample cleavage and emphasised her impressive bust. Long blonde hair flowed down her back in waves.

From the description Yume knew that this was Vert, her final target.

The large spear that leaned against the wall beside her was another dead give-a-way. Yume noted that it was also an incredible exotic and vicious looking weapon. Unlike most spears that were simple a singular sharp blade attached to a long pole this one was far different. The head of the spear wasn't a singular blade, it was five blades all attached to a large spearhead. There was a single blade that pointed straight forward like most spears but on either side of the center blade were two more blades that angled out a bit before they sharply turned and headed straight. The butt of the spear was also bladed. The shaft of the spear had an interesting pattern of various shades of green and black.

The personal information she had been given had mentioned that Vert was a very motherly and caring figure. She often mediated and settled disputes between many of Hayato's Sekirei when things got out of hand.

Judging from the hard look she was giving Yume and the deep frown on her face she was not in a motherly or caring mood.

"Yes, I am No. 08 Yume, the Sekirei of Fate." Yume introduced herself. She wasn't the only one taking out Mikogami's Sekirei but she'd take the blame for it all to spare Hanabi and Akitsu any. "I'm surprised to find you waiting for me."

Vert slowly pushed herself away from the wall and reached over to grab her spear. "I'm No. 21 Vert." Vert said as she introduced herself as well. "I could feel my sisters falling one by one. I knew if I ran it would be only a matter of time before I was chased down." Vert replied. Her eyes hardened even more. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to go any further. I will protect the others even at the cost of my life. I will not run, I will fight and I will defeat you." She said as she twirled the spear in her hands and pointed it at Yume.

A small smile graced Yume's face, "Ah, I can feel your love for your fellow sisters. It's such a wonderful thing." It was sad that someone like Vert had been winged by someone like Mikogami Hayato. Perhaps if fate had acted differently they could have been good friends. Despite being on opposite sides of this conflict it was so refreshing to deal with someone like her, especially after the sour taste Tharja had left in her mouth. "It is a shame I have to defeat you. But I will so that my Ashikabi's goals can be realized." Yume said as she dropped into a battle stance.

The two stared at each other from across the gravel rooftop. Each waited for the other to make the first move. The seconds ticked away as the two waited for anything to break the silent stalemate between them.

A coin fell from the sky, flipping end over end. Yume twitched knowing that somehow Naruto was responsible.

The twitch was the opening Vert needed. With a burst of speed that belied her frame Vert closed the distance between the two in an instant. The air screamed as the bladed spear cut a diagonal path upwards across Yume's chest.

Yume quickly leaned back and avoided the slash attack, an unusual maneuver for someone with a spear, and quickly jumped inside of Vert's guard. She lashed out with her free fist and she aimed for the blonde Sekirei's face.

Vert whirled the spear in her hands and brought the butt of the spear up and knocked the fist away. The bladed edge of the butt cut into the gloves around Yume's hand and she quickly jerked it away before it could reach her skin.

Vert whirled her body around and jumped back in mid turn as she used centrifugal force to increase the speed and power behind her slash. Thinking quickly Yume thrust her right palm forward and fired a weak blast of energy, there wasn't any time to charge it, and knocked Vert away.

She still took a minor hit as the very tip of the spear ripped through her clothing and left a small gash across the breadth of her chest. A tiny line of red appeared as the cut began to bleed but Yume ignored it. It was superficial at best but the fact that she had been injured at all was a testament to Vert's skill.

Vert was fast, not as fast as she was, but she had far greater range and destructive power with her spear than she did.

Provided Yume didn't use her energy based attacks.

Yume saw movement from behind the roof entrance as a shadow began to form. She shook her head. This was one battle she wanted to fight on her own without any help. Vert was a respectable opponent and she deserved at least that much.

The shadow hesitated for a moment and then it was gone. Yume sensed the ANBU head off elsewhere. A small smile graced her face as she charged towards Vert. This time she went on the offensive.

The two became locked in intense close quarters combat. Yume was a blur as she dodged and weaved around Vert's and lashed out with her own. Vert's spear screamed through the air as it blocked and parried Yume's attack. It served well as both an offensive and defensive tool allowing her to attack while still having the option to defend.

Using the flat of the blade on the butt of her spear Vert knocked some gravel up at Yume. Yume flinched momentarily at the unexpected move. Vert used the opportunity to break the gridlock she and Yume had been stuck in and jumped back a good twenty meters.

"You're strong." Vert commented as she whirled her spear around and held it at the ready, "I guess I'll have to use my strongest skill against you."

"Not only is your love strong, but you're powerful as well." Yume said with a grin. "I was not aware that there was someone with your level of skill outside the single digit Sekirei." She had thought that the only Sekirei of note that Mikogami had was Mutsu but apparently she had thought wrong. Vert was easily a match for Mutsu.

"I for one never believed that you single digits were better than the rest of us. You were simply given a head start, one that the rest of us can negate with hard work and effort!" Vert declared as she began to channel her chakra into her special attack.

"Yes, you speak good words. I'll match your determination and your attack with all I have! It's the least I can do for you." Yume began to do the same as she charged her power into her first. If Vert wanted to settle this with their best attacks, well she would honor her decision and give it her all.

A large green circle with many concentric inner circles appeared beside Vert as her attacked became ready. "Sylhet Spear!" Vert shouted and a massive twenty foot long, three foot wide spear with a twisted spiral shaft shot through the air from the green circular grid.

Yume pushed her fist forward. A large ball of energy quickly expanded in her palms and grew to be several feet in diameter. "Ether Blast!" Yume shouted as the ball expanded and transformed into a massive beam of energy.

The two attacks met in the middle of the rooftop. The Sylhet spear began to spin and pierced through the center of Yume's attack and continued on. Yume continued to pour more and more power into her attack as the spear continued towards her. As the spear came closer and closer it gradually slowed down until it stopped just a foot from Yume.

Unable to maintain its forward momentum, or its form, any longer the spear dissolved as Yume's attack overwhelmed.

Seeing this Vert closed her eyes and sighed in resignation. She was beaten and she knew it. "I'm sorry everyone." Vert whispered as the beam of energy washed over her.

The beam of energy blasted through the rooftop entrance and continued on out over the city for a few moments before Yume stopped the attack.

She quickly rushed over to the down Sekirei and quickly checked her over. With a sigh of relief she noted that Vert was still alive, albeit deactivated. The damage she had sustained from her attack had been more than enough to take her out of the game. "You put up a good fight Vert. I'm proud of you, standing up for our brothers and sisters like you did." Yume whispered as she folded Vert's arms across her chest. She quickly retrieved the spear and laid it down beside her.

"You deserve better than this, you deserve better than him, and you deserve more respect than I can afford to show you. Farewell and I hope we can meet again in the future." Yume said. A single tear rolled down Yume's face. She brushed it away and headed towards the mansion. She wanted to stand watch over Vert until MBI picked her up but the needs of her Ashikabi out-weighed her own desires.

This was the first time she had ever felt like the bond was more of a curse than a blessing. She was beginning to see why Naruto disliked it so much.

**x~X~x**

It was time.

With the use of his father's time-space Ninjutsu Naruto appeared at the front gates to Mikogami Hayato's Manor.

It was time to end this.

His Sekirei were engaged in battles across the city. His ANBU were on the move assisting where they felt they were needed. He was ready to begin the assault on the main headquarters of the Ashikabi of the South.

He had given his Sekirei a bit of time to get to work on some of their objectives. He couldn't hit the manor right away or stand the risk of having the closer Sekirei reinforce Mikogami. There was already the potential of a four-on-one battle. He didn't want to have to deal with more.

It was time to bring down the Ashikabi of the South.

An orb of spinning chakra appeared in Naruto's right hand. "This is your wake-up call!" Naruto shouted as he pushed the attack forward. The ball of energy expanded to an enormous size, "**Chōōdama Rasengan!**" Naruto shouted as he slammed the oversized Rasengan into the gates. With a massive boom the gates warped and twisted. They withstood the attack for half a second before they were ripped from their hinges and thrown across the front yard of the manor.

"It's time to end this." Naruto said with a determined look on his face as he strode through the front gates.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

In case you're wondering yes I did take some descriptions and powers from various games I play. Also I didn't choose them as fodder because I disliked those individuals in their respective games (Tharja for instance is actually my favorite female character behind Lucina, it was difficult to choose between the two for whom MU should marry, and I think Blanc is awesome especially when she goes on her rants about her chest size, you'll meet her next chapter) although I do hate Iris.

Tharja – Fire Emblem: Awakening  
Say'ri – Fire Emblem: Awakening  
Yen'Fay – Fire Emblem: Awakening  
Aversa – Fire Emblem: Awakening  
Nio – Atelier Ayesha (That's where Ayesha came from as well)  
Blanc (HDD Form) – Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2  
Vert (Normal Form) – Hpyerdimension Neptunia Victory  
Iris (Heart, HDD Form) – Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory  
Tusbame and Yuri were my own unique creations

As for Yume's Norito attack well it's a combination of two awesome abilities in a game I very much enjoyed. Props to anyone that figures out where I got it from or what the two attacks were.

And yes, Naruto hates the bond because it can override the Sekirei's desires with the Ashikabi's. Naruto still goes through with it because he understands the necessity, the desire the Sekirei have for it and because he believes better him than an abusive Ashikabi. Despite that though he still thinks the entire thing is pure evil. And Yume's comment, that's not to say she doesn't love Naruto, because she does, she just hated that connection for a brief moment because it compelled her to go against her wish, which had changed briefly from going to Naruto's side to honoring Vert.

Chapter 144 in the manga suggests that Yume is nearly as fast as Miya when she's enraged. With that level of speed and skill she should have trounced Tharja and Vert. And with that level of speed she would have. There are a few things to keep in mind. First off she's in Musubi's body, not her own. Her old body was conditioned for extreme speed, Musubi's is still lacking, and she's locked out of her complete power because it's not her old body. She's still more powerful than any other Sekirei except Miya which I have shown. Secondly she wasn't enraged at those two Sekirei. When she DID get enraged at Tharja, she completely overwhelmed her with power, she could have used speed but she wanted something a bit more final. With Vert it was two honorable Sekirei fighting in a standard battle and to be honest Yume under-estimated her at the start. That and I bumped Vert's power, speed, and ability up to the same level as a single digit anyways because I felt like it ^_^. Yume would have had an easier time with Mutsu than Vert because she wouldn't have underestimated Mutsu.

This chapter was all about Naruto's Sekirei. This chapter was their time to shine, and Hanabi's re-emergence into the world! Next chapter it's all about Naruto.


	18. Chapter 17: The Fall of the South

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**I forgot to mention this last time but between Chapters 15 and 16, I actually managed to get 3 chapters done so I decided to post this one early. This is an exception though. Don't expect the next chapter to come out as quickly, or for this to even occur again. It might, but don't hold your breath.**

**Review Responses:** One of my reviewers figured out where I grabbed Yume's Norito from, well the series anyways. It's actually Silmeria I pulled them from but I suppose the soul crushes are used in most of the VP series. Yume's Norito starts with the incantation and attack of Phantom Destruction and ends with Freya's Ether Strike and I combined them together as Ether Destruction. Oh and Lezard Valeth = Awesome.

Pretty much every negative comment on my last chapter was about the clones… I'll just ask you to reserve judgement until the end of the next chapter, Chapter 18. After that I'll take your opinions, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and learn from them if I make another story based off Naruto.

**Chapter 17: The Fall of the South**

The ground cracked and crumbled as Naruto strode across the front lawn to the entrance of the house. His chakra was whirling around him in an uncontrolled fashion wreathing him in a shroud of blue energy.

It was entirely his own chakra, not an ounce of it was Kurama's.

There was no need to hide anymore. There was no need for subtly. The time for that was all past. It was time for retribution. There would be no warm up period. There would be no 'going-easy' or 'testing'.

He had fought Mutsu twice before. He knew Mutsu's limits and he was going to completely overwhelm them.

There was a flash of light a little ways down the side of the mansion and Naruto sensed a seal activate. He glanced over at it and tilted his head curiously. That was a stasis seal. If he was not mistaken it came from the room that the Sekirei Mitsuki possessed. He would have preferred a more permanent solution but the seal would last long enough for him to kill Mikogami Hayato and force a level 1 termination.

If that was the decision his ANBU created then that was fine with him. He had promised Yume that he wouldn't unnecessarily end the lives of the Sekirei he came across. This development would make Yume happy.

Naruto nodded his head a couple times as he reaffirmed his decision and continued on, it was an acceptable solution.

There was one thing he needed to make sure of though. He needed to make sure no one could escape. He had Sakura and Ino create a massive seal surrounding the mansion. It would prevent anyone from entering or leaving the area without his permission. As Naruto strode over the activation point for the barrier raised a hand and held it up in a hand-sign, "Seal!" He shouted and pushed his into the ground.

His chakra flowed into the activation point and raced across the property in the four cardinal directions. When the chakra reached the edge of the barrier it split and headed left and right creating a massive circle that enveloped the entire mansion. There was a soft flash of light and a massive dome appeared from thin air, encasing the entire mansion. The dome distorted the light coming in, bathing the property in a soft blue tint.

The only escape now for Mikogami Hayato was over his dead body.

The barrier had gone up just in time too as Naruto sensed someone attempting to escape out the other side of the property only moments after it completed. It was two someone's from the way it felt.

Two massive explosions rocked the property and great plumes of fire erupted from two different locations within the mansion. A grim smile crossed Naruto's face as he continued on towards the main entrance. Sakura and Ino had done well.

The mansion had been mapped out early in the operation so Naruto knew exactly where those two explosions had originated from: The security room that housed all the cameras surveillance/recording equipment and the mess hall where most of the security forces would be eating lunch.

That was another reason for his delay in assaulting the mansion. From the information his ANBU had gathered there was only a skeleton crew of security guards in the security room during their lunch break at 1:00pm. The rest were eating at that time.

Now he wouldn't have to worry about getting shot in the back. The few security guards that weren't in either location for whatever reason would be dealt with by the ANBU Captain and the undercover member that was already inside.

There was a loud hiss as hot steam erupted from the two holes in the mansion. Massive gouts of water doused the hot flames that had consumed everything in the two rooms. No need to burn down the mansion.

Yet.

He still needed it until he had eliminated Mikogami Hayato. After Kusano was freed and the rest of the Sekirei were taken care of and placed in a location that MBI could pick up safely, then he could reduce the entire place to ash.

Naruto could sense him approach long before he ever arrived. With a quick boost of chakra to his legs Naruto pushed off the ground and jumped back a hundred feet.

Just in time too, "SMASHING POINT!" Mutsu yelled as he slammed the butt of his sword into the ground where Naruto had just been. The ground cratered as huge slabs of earth erupted in a circular pattern around the irate Sekirei.

"So glad you decided to face me. Although I had to force the issue to prevent you from fleeing like a coward." Naruto said emotionlessly as he stared at Mutsu. The chakra flared around him as he stared at Mutsu with nothing but contempt in his eyes. He had no doubt in his mind that the two people that had tried to flee out the back had been Mutsu and Mikogami Hayato.

Mutsu glared at Naruto but quickly regained his composure. "Mikogami-sama is more important than you." Mutsu said, "Twice now you have interfered with my Ashikabi's plans. This would make the third."

"And the last." Naruto said as he spread his arms wide, "This barrier will prevent anyone, or anything, from leaving this killing field. It will only fall when either Mikogami Hayato is dead, or I am."

"That is most unfortunate for you; I can't let you kill my Ashikabi." Mutsu as he held his sword out in front of himself horizontally. "I came here prepared; I will teach you not to take me so lightly." The chakra within Mutsu flared as the chakra within him spiked to levels Naruto had never seen from him before. It was like a torrent of chakra had been unleashed.

It was still nothing compared to the vast ocean that Naruto was swimming in.

"So you came with your Norito already prepared? It will do you no good. You will learn your place." Naruto stated as he began to slowly walk towards Mutsu. He had a fairly good idea as to what was coming. It was time to prove a point.

Mutsu stared at Naruto hard and gripped his sheathed sword more tightly. It worried him slightly that Naruto was so calm, and the power that radiated from the blond was enormous. However he was confident there wasn't a single player in the Sekirei Plan that could take his Norito.

A large seal appeared on the ground just in front of Mutsu as he began his incantation. "In my hands the creator's sword that calls eternal sleep." Chakra ran across the lines of the seal and a spark of fiery earth erupted from the center. The spark rose up into the air leaving behind a trail of orange smoke as it traced a seal in the air. When it finished tracing the symbol the entire air lit up in a flash of red light as the air literally began to burn. "Honor our pact and hear my command!" The fire hurtled back down into the center of the seal and fractured the ground. Three burning fissures of magma split the earth and raced across the ground towards Naruto. "**Animate Earth!**" Mutsu shouted as the three fissures met just beneath Naruto.

There was a massive explosion as molten rock erupted from the ground and consumed everything in the area. The property shook as the tremors rippled outwards from the point of contact. The air burned and the smell of sulfur saturated the air.

And Naruto walked calmly out from within that inferno, completely unscathed.

The chakra that had been swirling around him had protected him from the attack. There was nothing Mutsu could do that could even touch him.

The sword-wielding Sekirei could only stare in total abject shock as Naruto continued his measured pace towards him. "H-How. That should be impossible!" There shouldn't be anyone that could walk through that attack as calmly and as unscathed as Naruto had.

"I have defied the very laws of reality to kill an entity so powerful he could sink this entire country beneath the waves with a flick of his wrist. A little thing such as fire and brimstone are nothing to me." The look of contempt still had yet to leave his face, "The first time I fought you, I didn't take you seriously. I had no reason, nor desire, to kill you. That was the only reason you survived."

Mutsu narrowed his eyes and began to analyze Naruto more thoroughly. That fight had been the hardest Mutsu had ever been in but nothing he had seen had indicated that Naruto was 'this' far outside of his league. Sure he had suffered more damage during the acquisition of the Sekirei Kusano but he had never really doubted his ability to win like he had in his first fight against Naruto.

The possibility that Naruto was as strong as or even stronger than Miya was a terrifying thought.

"The second time we encountered I was exhausted beyond belief and had my attention diverted in too many directions. I made too many bad judgement calls. That is the only reason you managed to take Kusano." Naruto continued, "You have never beaten me, you have never come close to beating me. Every time we have met I have either been too exhausted, or simply didn't care enough, to deal with you seriously." Naruto brought his hands up and clenched them into fists, "Not this time though. I'm done playing with you. It's time you understood just what is you have pissed off."

With a flash of yellow light the chakra around Naruto exploded and amplified itself exponentially. The pressure Naruto exerted brought Mutsu to his knees. All the animals, insects and non-Sekirei within the barrier instantly fainted.

Even those outside the barrier felt the effects. Everyone within a two mile radius suddenly decided they wanted to be elsewhere.

When the light faded Naruto had changed dramatically. His entire body glowed with yellow-gold energy. Black markings covered his arms and face and a golden cloak made out of pure energy embraced his frame. The most significant difference that Mutsu noticed was his eyes. The once cold, yet human, eyes now had slits for an iris and glowed bright red.

Mutsu was taken aback by the change but quickly recovered; he wouldn't go down without a fight. "You're not human are you?" Mutsu asked quietly. That body and those eyes were both inhuman. Mutsu already knew deep down inside that this battle was a lost cause but he was never one to give.

"The dead have no need of answers."

Mutsu pulled his sword from his sheath and slammed it into the ground. With a quick jerk he pulled it back up, "Fracturing Storm!" A jagged line of spike earth arose with the sound of Mutsu's voice and shot across the landscape towards Naruto in an instant.

It felt like an eternity for Naruto. Faster than a person could blink Naruto shifted to the side and ignored the jagged line of earth as it continued past him.

"Tsk! Where are the others?" Mutsu grumbled as he stared at Naruto with the beginnings of fear in his eyes. This was an opponent he couldn't beat on his own. He was outclassed in every way.

"You mean like this one?" A voice said to the side. Mutsu and Naruto paused to look up to the side.

There on the roof of the mansion was the ANBU Captain. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the body he had in his hands towards Mutsu. The body arced gracefully through the air before it landed with a solid thump a couple meters away from the Sekirei. It was a dark skinned woman with long white hair dressed in odd black clothing.

She was also very dead. Her neck was covered in blood and a long thin line could be seen going from ear to ear.

Mutsu grimaced. Aversa was dead, that only left Kusano, Blanc and Mitsuki that could support him. Kusano and Mitsuki should have been here by now though. Blanc he could understand why she wasn't. Give her a good book and she'd read through and earthquake, fire and a tornado tearing through the house all at the same time.

However what remained of Mutsu's hope shattered with the ANBU's next words, "Kusano and Mikogami Hayato have been secured. Mitsuki has been sealed away. Taki has been deactivated." Taki had been asleep in her room when the ANBU Captain had found her. All it had taken was a manipulation of chakra sent straight into her crest and she became deactivated.

They had promised Yume that there wouldn't be any unnecessary deaths. He wasn't sure why his ANBU had decided to kill Aversa instead of deactivate but he trusted his judgement.

The blood drained from Mutsu's face. His Ashikabi has been taken captive and there was no help coming.

"Good work." Naruto said as he started up once more towards Mutsu. There was now only about twenty feet between the two of them. "Prepare the room for my arrival. I have one last insect to deal with." The ANBU Captain saluted and disappeared over the roof. "Looks like it's just you and me now."

Mutsu gave Naruto almost a resigned expression, without backup this fight was hopeless. However he wasn't going to give up, he couldn't give up. With a burst of speed Mutsu closed the distance between Naruto and him in an instant.

"**RASENGAN**!" Mutsu had no time to react as a spiralling ball of chakra plowed its way into his chest. With a cry of pain the ball exploded and knocked Mutsu backwards and through the front door of the mansion.

Naruto had seen Mutsu move and much like his earlier attack it had been pitiful. He hadn't even needed his father's patent time-space technique. Mutsu might have well been moving in slow motion.

Although like this Naruto doubted there was anyone who could match his speed.

Naruto picked up the pace and quickly approached the doors. As he reached the steps that led up to the front-porch Mutsu charged out the ruined doorway. His shirt had been torn to shreds and there was an angry spiral mark on his chest. The only thing that had saved his life was his vaunted Sekirei durability that had been boosted by the Norito.

Even if he lived through this though that was one injury that would require medical attention.

As Mutsu reached him Naruto casually reached out and gripped the sheath in one hand as Mutsu slashed horizontally at him with it. He completely ignored the sword as it ripped through his chest right where his heart was.

"You really don't understand just what it is you're dealing with do you." Naruto said as he stared Mutsu directly in the eyes. He clenched his fist and snapped the sheath in half. With his other hand he gripped the wrist of the hand the held the sword in his heart, "Here, let me help you better understand."

With inhuman strength Naruto slowly forced the sword out from his chest. Mutsu found he had no control over his hand at all. Naruto's grip was so strong it didn't allow him to make any movements. As the sword exited his body Mutsu could only stare in shock. There wasn't any sign of injury on Naruto at all.

It's as if… Mutsu's thought trailed off. His eyes slowly widened in disbelief. It was impossible but there could be no other explanation. It was as if Naruto had become immune to all forms of physical harm.

With a sharp twist of his wrist Naruto snapped Mutsu's wrist. A punch to the gut threw Mutsu back through the ruined doorway and into the mansion once more. Naruto quickly grabbed Mutsu's sword before it hit the ground. He lifted it up and analyzed the blade. It was fine workmanship. It would be a good souvenir. With a poof it disappeared into the seal on his shoulder.

There was a bright flash of light to the east that was soon followed by a roar of thunder. Naruto frowned and concentrated his senses in that direction. That came from Yume. She was still alive, although for some reason she was brimming with anger. Naruto had never felt Yume angry before. He wasn't sure he ever wanted to see her angry.

Naruto said a quick mental prayer for the unfortunate soul stupid enough to enrage one of the most happy and easy-going people, Sekirei or otherwise, he had ever met.

Naruto turned his attention back to the task at hand. It was time to end this. Mutsu was beaten, thoroughly. He had nothing left. Two shadow clones soundlessly appeared beside Naruto. The three Naruto's flashed through a series of hand signs as they concentrated on Mutsu. Said Sekirei was slowly getting back to his feet.

Naruto had to give him credit for tenacity. Mutsu knew he couldn't win but he refused to stay down. It was one more trait he shared with Shikamaru. However this wasn't the time to walk down memory lane.

It was time to end this.

The three Naruto's finished their techniques at the same time.

"**Doton: Doryūdan** **no Jutsu!**" The earth around the first clone rose up and formed itself into the shape of a massive dragon's head.

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!**" The water main leading into the mansion erupted behind the second clone. The water rushed forward as it formed the shape of a massive dragon's head.

"**Fūton: Kazeyūdan no Jutsu!**" The air around Naruto warped and twisted as he bent it to his will, forming it into his desired shape.

The three techniques collided with one another just outside the shattered remains of the main entrance and began to rotate around each other. Mutsu, now back to his feet, could only stare on in hopeless resignation as the attacks coalesced into a single massive dragon made out of wind, earth and water. The dragon was now larger than the entrance to the mansion.

With a roar that shattered all nearby windows the dragon shot forward. The entire wall surrounding the doorframe collapsed as the mammoth attack plowed its way into the home of Mikogami Hayato. The floor was ripped up and support pillars were knocked down as the dragon tore through everything to reach its prey.

Mutsu stared straight into the maw of death as it arced over his head and slammed directly down upon him. He didn't make a sound as the dragon tore his body to shreds and burrowed into the floor. There was a loud boom as the floor of the entrance collapsed in on the first level of the basement. There was the sound of wood splintering and stone shattered as the dragon continued to burrow its way through the various basement levels of the mansion until it reached solid each.

Where it kept going.

Half a mile down Naruto finally let the attack detonate. It exploded with the enough force to cause a brief 5.0 earthquake across the breadth of Shinto Teito. Car alarms all across the city began to go off as the city shook. Naruto had pumped a lot of extra chakra into the attack. If he hadn't condensed it as much as possible and let it flow naturally the attack would have dwarfed the mansion.

"That better have killed him, otherwise I may have to use something a bit more extreme." Naruto said as he walked through the shattered entrance. He dropped out of his chakra shroud and returned to his normal form. There hadn't really been any need for it. Even without it he could have destroyed Mutsu easily. But he wanted him to realize just 'how' badly he was outclassed before the end.

He was sure he had gotten his point across.

Naruto briefly looked around the mansion as he entered. It was obvious that it had been very opulent, before Naruto had destroyed it. There was a deep gouge dug out of the floor just inside the doorway that stopped a few feet in where it appeared as if the entire floor of the entrance way had collapsed. In the very center of the wrecked room was a deep hole, six meters across that went straight down.

There used to be a couple of elegant curved staircases that went up to the second floor but both had been destroyed when the floor had collapsed. That didn't bother Naruto since his destination was on the first floor anyways, not that it would have hindered him regardless.

Ignoring the rest of the room Naruto turned and headed down the east wing of the Mansion. Now that the floor wasn't completely ruined Naruto noticed that it was made up of high quality granite tiles. The walls were sheathed in marble and there were expensive paintings hanging from them. Every few meters there was a decorative marble pillar. The hallway was at least ten meters wide and thrice that high. As he looked up he could see the second level of the mansion. There was a low marble wall to prevent people from walking off the edge. The ceiling itself was arched and entirely painted with exotic images of wild animals.

The entire place screamed money.

"Rich bastard." Naruto muttered as he looked for room the proper room.

The two rooms he was looking for had been set up side by side. One was used to hold Mikogami Hayato and Kusano until he was ready. The second room was the room where the procedure would actually take place.

"Over here Hokage-sama." A voice called to him. Naruto followed the sound and saw his ANBU Captain a little ways down the hallway. Naruto quickly jogged over to his side.

This was the place. "Bring Kusano and Mikogami over." Naruto said.

It was time.

Naruto pushed open the door to the room and looked around the room. Ino and Sakura were standing just inside the opening. The two of them curtsied as he entered. In the time the assault happened to now the two had cleared the room out. It was now entirely barren.

Save for the massive sealing array that spanned the breadth of the room. Everything from the floor, to the walls and even the sealing were covered. It would be needed. The seal on the floor is what would be used to take care of the Sekirei bond. The seals on the walls and ceiling were used to prevent intrusion.

"Good work you two." Naruto said as he finished surveying the room. "Did you get the key?" Naruto asked Sakura.

Sakura smiled at him, "I sure did." She said as she pulled a keychain and some keys from between her cleavage, "Right before I caved in his skull with my fist. I swear if I had to bat so much as an eyelash at that pervert one more time I was going to go postal."

"You went postal anyways forehead-chan." Ino pointed out. The two of them had left a pile of bodies behind them; most of the dead had been courtesy of Sakura. She had a lot of pent up frustration to vent.

Their deaths had been necessary, more on account that they couldn't have any witnesses. MBI may be able to cover up the Sekirei fights themselves but an assault on a family as rich and powerful as the Hayato family? That wouldn't be something that MBI could cover up. Everyone in the mansion had to die for the future safety of Naruto and his Sekirei.

"Shut up Ino-pig." Sakura said as she glared at Ino in mock anger.

"Regardless, good work." Naruto pulled a couple of sealing scrolls from his shoulder and tossed them to Ino, "Head to the vault and empty it. I want everything that can be easily sold and not-traced back to us taken. Jewellery, precious gems, precious metals and any cash you can find are all targets. Don't go for anything large."

"Don't worry, we'll get it done." Ino said with a grin as she walked past her commanding officer.

Sakura waved farewell and the two of them headed off further into the mansion.

Soon after the two left there was the sound of movement behind him. Naruto turned and couldn't help but approve of the sight. There was the object of all his anger: Mikogami Hayato. He was in rough shape. His clothes were dirtied and torn. There were cuts and bruises all over his body and there was a particularly nasty welt beginning to form on his face.

He had been tied up thoroughly and couldn't move anything save for his head. He screamed profanities at the ANBU Captain as his clone carried the rich child through the open door. He quickly crossed the room and placed him directly in the center of the seal in the middle of the room.

The second ANBU member came in after the Captain with Kusano held gently in his arms. The young Sekirei slept peacefully with a stuffed fox toy held tightly in her hands. The ANBU quickly crossed over to the far side of the room and gently placed Kusano into a small circle there. This circle was connected to the one in the center by various pathways.

Naruto smiled grimly as he slowly made his way towards Hayato. "How good of you to join me today." Naruto said with a deceptively pleasant tone of voice.

Hayato stared daggers at Naruto, "How dare you do this to me! Do you know how many rules you've broken in this game! The director…"

"Won't do anything." Naruto cut him off. "If he even tries to interfere with what I'm doing here, I'll turn MBi headquarters into a smoking crater and turn him inside out." Naruto wasn't sure if Minaka realized that but he had a feeling that the man was at least intelligent enough to know when he should, and shouldn't, interfere with him.

Hayato gaped at him for a moment before a snarl crossed his face again, "Let me go! Damnit where is Mutsu!"

"Dead." The look on Hayato's face was priceless, "Did you not feel that tremor earlier? That was me obliterating him. I doubt there's enough left of him to fill a thimble."

Hayato shook his head back and forth. "Aversa!"

"Dead."

"Mitsuki!" Hayato cried out desperately.

"Imprisoned."

"BLANC! ANYONE!" Hayato was panicking now. The look on his face could be described as nothing short of sheer terror.

"GOD DAMNIT YOU BASTARD!" A shout echoed across the mansion.

Naruto frowned as a look of hope crossed Hayato's face. Naruto sent a message to his ANBU Captain and turned to face the newcomer.

A few moments later the last Sekirei Hayato had appeared. The first thing Naruto noticed was that she was almost flat chested. Normally it wouldn't be something to notice first but she was the first Sekirei he had ever met that had small breasts, with the exception of Kusano who was understandable as she was a child still. The new Sekirei, Blanc was the name his ANBU had labeled her as, was also relatively short as well but there was a maturity about her face that belied her child like appearance.

The description matched what he had heard about her though. She had short spiky light blue with long bangs that stretched down past her breasts and piercing orange eyes. She wore what appeared to be a one-piece white swimsuit with an open back and blue trim on the bottom. In addition she wore white platform shoes with that extended up to the middle of her thighs with skin-tight latex fabric. She wore white gauntlets with black spiked finger tips that had white latex lining that went up her arms and ended at her biceps.

The entire ensemble was topped off with a massive axe that looked like it had been taken straight from the future. An axe that was larger than she was but that she appeared to have no problem swinging around like it was weightless.

"Blanc! You came for me! Thank god save me from this man!" Hayato screamed.

"SCREW YOU!" Blanc shouted at Hayato causing the child to recoil in surprise. Blanc turned and pointed a shaking finger at Naruto. She was literally vibrating with rage. "You dropped a god damn FRICKING CEILING ON ME! I was READING you dumbass! It took me FIVE MINUTES to dig myself out of that crap! My book was RUINED!" Everyone just stared at her dumbly. Naruto knew she enjoyed reading but this kind of took it from 'enjoyment' to 'obsession'. "Now I'll never know what happened to Martha! YOU BASTARD!" Obsession may be too light a word to use.

Unfortunately he had other things to worry about as Blanc charged at him with her axe raised in the air.

It was time to unleash his secret weapon. "I can make your breasts bigger."

Blanc froze in mid-air. Naruto blinked in surprise. He hadn't been aware that she had anti-gravity techniques. Blanc's eyes flashed red as she hovered in place. She growled at Naruto, "Don't you DARE talk about my breasts!"

He had her attention, now he needed to drive the point home. "What, you don't want them any larger?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Don't listen to him! He's lying!" Hayato screamed.

"What did you just say to me?" Blanc shouted at Hayato.

"I think he said you're better off flat." Naruto explained. Blanc's eyes went pure red as her anger spiked. Any anger she had towards Naruto swapped instantly to her Ashikabi.

Naruto grinned at the ANBU Captain who grinned back. He had silently attached a seal to Hayato's throat. Whenever he spoke it was garbled and muttered so that only Naruto and his clones could understand. Of course it sounded fine to Hayato so he had no clue what was going on.

"DAMN YOU MIKOGAMI! ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF MY CHEST?" Blanc roared.

"No! I love them the way they are! You're perfect!" Hayato desperately tried to save himself. His last hope was to get Blanc to save him. He'd play any card he could to accomplish that.

"Oh what was that? I'm surprised." Naruto said with faux sadness, "He said your chest was fine the way they were because they're perfect to iron laundry on." Naruto tsked softly as he shook his head back and forth. "What a shallow man."

"IRONING BOARD! I'LL SHOW YOU IRONING BOARD!" Blanc was now incredibly enraged. She was literally levitating off the ground although whether that was because of her rage or an innate ability Naruto couldn't tell.

Hayato stared over at Naruto and gaped in surprise, he had no idea what was going on but he knew that Naruto was the cause. He quickly whipped his head back towards Blanc and looked at her pleadingly. "N-N-No! That's not what I said! I said you're perfect."

Naruto sighed dramatically again. "He likes large breasts the most." Naruto said, once again his voice dripping with faux sadness, "He said that larger breasts are more fun to play with and that he only winged you because he thought you'd grow more later."

An audible crack echoed across the room and Hayato's head was knocked back by some unknown force. With a battle cry Blanc charged across the room, fully intent on ending Hayato's life. Her rage had consumed her so badly you could see red energy leaking from her eyes and emanating from her skin.

With a burst of speed Naruto appeared behind Blanc and wrapped his arms around her chest and held her back. "Now, Now, I can't have you doing that my lovely little lady. I still need him alive for the time being. You can kill him later." Naruto murmured as he struggled to hold back the enraged Sekirei.

"LET GO OF ME! I'll kill him! I'LL CHOP HIM INTO PIECES! No one insults my chest! NO ONE!" Blanc roared. Her eyes blazed with a fury that put even Kurama at his height to shame.

Speaking of Kurama, _I like this one, she's a keeper!_

_Figures you would like the ones with a temper. Did I get my masochistic streak from you?_ Naruto asked.

_Wait that's not what I imp.…_ Naruto tuned out the rest as he concentrated on the situation at hand. Blanc was FAR stronger than her size suggested. He was actually being dragged forward bit by bit despite his efforts to stop her. He needed to whip out his ace again.

"If you calm down I really can make these bigger." Naruto said as he gently squeezed Blanc's almost flat breasts.

"I'LL KI- wait what?" Blanc stopped and tilted her head to stare up at Naruto in surprise. Her rage drained from her in an instant.

"Personally I like both large and small. Large breasts are all great and stuff but sometimes it's just nice to have some small ones around. The smaller ones have a sensitivity and firmness that large breasts just can't hope to match." Naruto said as he continued to caress the small mounds through her suit.

Blanc flushed deeply and lowered her axe to the ground. "R-Really? I mean they're so small and useless. Wait a minute, MBI said they couldn't make them larger! I don't believe you!"

Naruto laughed and kissed her on the head. She glared up at him as he grinned down. "MBI lied, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that they've lied and hid quite a lot of things. The Sekirei body is very malleable. That crest on the back of your neck can be used to receive just about any command. I can send a command that tells your body to start growing your breasts again. It won't be instant jumbo size but you'll start to notice a slight increase within days." Naruto played with tips of her breasts and they stiffened under his ministrations, "I can make these as big or as small as you desire. I could even change a Sekirei's gender if I wanted to but I'm sure you're happy with being female so I won't go there." Naruto grinned at her and winked; Blanc blushed and quickly looked down. "Besides there's no such thing as useless breasts, at least I don't believe so. I have three large chested Sekirei right now and I can tell you this, none of theirs can compare to the firmness I'm feeling right now. If you weren't already winged by Mikogami I'd consider taking you as one of my own just so that I could have the ability to enjoy your small breasts." Well he would also have to run it past Hanabi as well. But aside from that he was being honest. There was perkiness to them that his other women just could not match. It was also a very odd declaration to make. It was the type of declaration that if he made to any other female it would cause their righteous anger to flare.

But Blanc was very sensitive about her chest size. Even the smallest perceived insult could cause her anger to flare dramatically. But the reverse was true as well. The smallest compliment meant a great deal.

When his ANBU had been gathering information on the Sekirei, in particular their habits, they had come across a couple Sekirei with irregularities in their behaviours. An Ashikabi was supposed to make their Sekirei happy but these three were not. Kusano had always been sad, Blanc had always been brimming with anger just beneath the surface and Nio never really seemed to care what Mikogami wanted, she completely ignored him except when given a direct order.

He knew that those three Sekirei had more than likely been taken by force by Mikogami. He had hoped he could free Blanc like Kusano but first he had to remove her desire to help her Ashikabi then immobilize her until he could break the bond. Nio was unfortunately outside so he wouldn't be able to help her.

Naruto bent his head again to kiss her hair comfortingly. He wasn't prepared when her head shot back, "I-." She started but was cut off as their lips accidentally met.

No one was prepared for what happened next. Jaws dropped and eyes widened in shock as six brilliant white wings burst from Blanc's back and bathed the room in a soft glow. Even the ANBU showed visible signs of surprise.

"Ummm…" Naruto stared at the wings that were spreading out between him and Blanc for a moment, "What just happened? I thought Mikogami winged you…"

"I did wing her…" Hayato trailed off as he stared at the wings that were slowly disappearing back into Blanc's back.

"You better not have lied to me!" Blanc growled at Naruto as she grabbed his head and pulled him down for a more passionate kiss.

Naruto blinked in surprise and slowly returned the kiss. After a few moments the two separated. Naruto shook his head, "No of course not! I meant every word I said!" He replied. This was weird, this was BEYOND weird. He had NOT intended to wing her; this went completely against everything he had planned.

He had wanted her to find her proper Ashikabi and he may have just robbed her of that accidentally.

Although he had no idea how she had become unwinged. It just didn't make sense. Everything he knew about Sekirei contradicted what had just happened. It was as if… Naruto blinked for a moment as a memory crossed his mind. He remembered Hayato being hit with something after Blanc had snapped. He thought the audible crack he had heard was simply his mind creating a sound effect to go with Blanc's explosive reaction.

Naruto just started to laugh. Everyone looked at him queerly although a hint of anger began to bleed into Blanc as she thought he was laughing at her.

"Sorry everyone. I just realized that Blanc's rage at Hayato caused her to unwing herself. Her rage and anger probably reached a point where every fiber of her being rejected him as her Ashikabi. It probably caused her body and soul to reject the bond it had made with him." Naruto said as he explained the source of his amusement. "Maybe if you hadn't made fun of her chest size she'd still be your Sekirei." Naruto said as he grinned at Hayato. This was too rich. He had not expected this development at all. He hadn't even realized Sekirei could unwing themselves; although Blanc was probably one of the few rare cases, due to her extreme explosive rage, that could do it.

It required a personality capable of reaching that level of anger and rage. The information his ANBU had collected on Blanc had said she was sensitive about her breast size but he had never realize just HOW riled up she could get.

"But I didn't make fun of her chest size!" Hayato objected. He couldn't believe this. This was impossible! Naruto had just STOLEN his prize!

The ANBU Captain sighed dramatically as he slowly stood. "Still remorseless even to the end. He said he was better off without a chestless girl like her."

"Can I kill him?" Blanc asked as her eyes started to glow red again.

"Afterwards." Naruto said as he let her go. He still had work to do. "Once I tear Kusano away from him I'll let you do whatever you want to him. Consider it my gift to you as an apology for winging you against your will."

"Hmph!" Blanc grumbled and moved to the wall. "Who says it was against my will? I decide what my own will is!" She looked down at her chest and touched them gently. She could still feel the heat of his hands. He was the first person to ever truly compliment her breasts despite their size. He was the first person to ever compliment her in any way. She wasn't going to let him go, no matter what he said.

It hadn't been very hard to hate Hayato. He had used her a few times and then ignored her. He always seemed to favor the large chested women. He almost never asked her to do anything. He just gave her some books and tucked her away in remote corners of the mansion. She knew that Hayato was probably being forced to say those things, it was really out of character for him to be so blatantly insulting, but she had known for a long time now that she meant absolutely nothing to him.

She had always had resentment and anger towards her Ashikabi. The bond that forced acceptance and her books had been all that had kept her anger under wraps up until now. Every time he ignored her to favor one of the large chested bitches of his her anger had grown just a little bit more.

Blanc looked up and watched as Naruto approached Kuu-chan. She was another Sekirei that Hayato had ignored. She had just been one more trophy to add to his collection. "Are you planning on winging her too?" She asked curiously. Kuu-chan was one of the few Sekirei that Hayato had that she didn't mind too much. The fact that she was the only one who Blanc had larger breasts than helped as well.

Naruto shook his head, "No, she belongs to another. She had reached out to him before Mikogami came and took her away. I'm going to return her to him." He had a heart of gold as well. Her new Ashikabi was already a hundred times better than her old.

She touched her breasts a second time. He had said he had liked her small breasts, but he had said he could make them larger. Blanc bit her lip. If he liked them small then maybe she should keep them small? She tried to cup them and frowned.

Well maybe a little bit more wouldn't hurt.

There was a bright flash of light as the seal activated all at once. Blanc had to blink a few times to remove the spots from her eyes. She looked over at Naruto curiously and noticed black squiggly lines shoot out and cover her former Ashikabi. His head snapped back as his eyes and mouth opened wide. A soundless scream erupted from Hayato Mikogami.

Blanc found it difficult to care.

"Hokage-sama." One of the masked men in the room spoke up. Blanc had no idea who either of them was but for some reason they felt oddly similar.

"Yes?" Her new Ashikabi asked.

"There's another Sekirei I trapped earlier just a few doors down. Is there a way to remove her bond as well?" The masked man asked.

"Any particular reason?" Naruto asked, he seemed distracted as he focused intently Kuu-chan. He had one hand over her chest and another beneath her back. "We know Kusano was forcefully taken. Blanc freed herself. Mitsuki may actually be one of his rightful Sekirei." Freeing Mitsuki wouldn't be any more difficult than Kusano; it would however take up precious time.

It would only be a matter of time before MBI came to pick up the fallen Sekirei, he wanted to be gone before that happened.

His Sekirei would be finished with the tasks and waiting for him outside the barrier before he was finished with Kusano. He didn't want to keep them waiting unless it was for a good cause and tearing a Sekirei from their rightful Ashikabi was not a good cause, even if the alternative was termination.

The ANBU member shifted uneasily, "It's hard to explain. I don't think Mikogami is her proper Ashikabi. She always seemed different when it was just the two of us. I would see her sometimes when she was with Mikogami. It was as if she was forced to act differently." The ANBU shrugged his shoulders, "I can't give you any hard proof or solid evidence. It's more of a gut feeling based on what I've observed."

"Bring her here." Naruto said. His eyes were still glazed over as he worked on Kusano. Naruto trusted his ANBU. They were him, he knew his gut feelings very well. It had never let him down before.

"Mitsuki…" Blanc said thoughtfully. "I remember her. That was the last mission I did for that bastard before he tucked me away in out of the way places." Blanc looked over at Naruto with a dark expression on her face, "I remember being told to kill a man that was running away her. I hesitated and that frickin bastard had his favorite pet Mutsu take him out." Blanc started to get agitated all over again just remember how she had been treated.

"So her real Ashikabi…" The ANBU Captain started as he brought his hand up to rub his chin.

"Is probably dead." Blanc said finished bluntly for him, she never was very tactful. Despite her words Mitsuki's Ashikabi was most certainly dead unless a human could live after having their body cut in half and their organs splayed all across the side walk.

Mikogami Hayato did not take kindly to being denied what he wanted. And he wanted just about everything he saw.

"So she can never be with her true Ashikabi." The ANBU Captain said solemnly. That was unfortunate.

"At least she can find someone better than Mikogami." Naruto said from his position over Kusano. He shifted and moved the hand from her chest up to her forehead, "Now hush, I'm getting to the difficult part. Don't let anyone disturb me or I may end up killing Kusano."

Blanc pushed off the wall and hefted her axe in her hands. That sounded like an order if she had ever heard one. If her new Ashikabi didn't want to be disturbed she would see to that. She knew how much damn well how annoying it could be when you were interrupted while in the middle of something. She had almost taken off the heads of more than one maid when they disturbed her reading to tell her that it was dinner time.

**x~X~x**

Lotus admired the barrier seal that surrounded Mikogami Hayato's mansion. It was definitely a work of art and a testament to her Hokage's skill. It prevented anyone or anything to penetrate the barrier in either direction with two sole exceptions: Oxygen and certain wave lengths of light.

It also blocked bloodline abilities like her Byakugan. She could see through the barrier but her sight was limited to what any ordinary person could see. Her sight wasn't able to pierce the walls of the mansion so she had no clue as to what was going on inside. While it was impossible to confirm now, Lotus would not be surprised if it blocked the superior eyesight of the Rinnegan and the Sharingan as well.

There was only a single weakness to it but it was a weakness Lotus doubted anyone aside from her could exploit, at least not quickly enough for it to matter.

She saw them head towards her long before they arrived.

"Hello Akitsu, Yume." Lotus greeted her two new sisters as they ran up beside her.

"Hello Hanabi-san!" Yume returned the greeting.

Akitsu looked as if she had no trouble with her targets. Aside from some smudges of dirt and grime at the bottom of her dress from the travel she looked perfectly fine.

Yume however appeared to have had some trouble.

"It's Lotus." She replied as she eyed the wound on Yume's chest. She looked focused her Byakugan on Yume and analyzed the wound. It wasn't very deep and it had already begun to heal. "Do you need anything for that?" It was still polite to ask. The potential for infection was still there although she couldn't see any sign of infection starting as of yet.

Yume looked down at the injury she had sustained from Vert, "No, it's almost healed. It went just deep enough to draw blood. It looks far worse than it is." Lotus nodded and turned her attention back to the mansion.

"He is in there." Akitsu said as she pressed a hand against the barrier that barred their entrance. The way she phrased her wording it could be taken as either a question or a statement.

"Yes, I arrived fifteen minutes ago. The assault was over by then. He's more than likely freeing Kusano as we speak." Lotus replied. The others couldn't see it but her right fist was clenched tightly. She really wanted to be at his side right now. All he had inside there were some clones. If something happened to her Hokage while she wasn't at his side.

She knew it was irrational to think that. He was far stronger than she. If there was something he couldn't handle, chances were she wouldn't be of much use.

"Go." Lotus looked over at Yume. The Sekirei was staring at her with an intense look Lotus had never seen on her face before. "Akitsu and I will secure the perimeter. Go to him."

The three of them had been tasked with securing the perimeter of the barrier after they had finished taking out their targets. There was no telling how fragile a state Kusano would be in after Naruto finished freeing her from the clutches of Mikogami Hayato and he did not want any surprising waiting for him when he was ready to leave.

He was also certain that MBI, should they arrive before he finished, would definitely not let him leave with Kusano without a fierce fight.

Lotus held Yume's gaze for a few moments as she tried to decipher the look she was receiving. It seemed as though Yume was far more perceptive than she had originally given her credit for. She assumed that Yume was simply a more mature version of Musubi.

"Go protect Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she voiced her agreement. Akitsu knew that Naruto was strong but that didn't mean she had to like the fact that he was all alone in the middle of enemy territory without any of his Sekirei at his side.

With a slight nod of her head Lotus closed her eyes and quickly slid into the ground. She didn't know very many Ninjutsu, with her bloodline and her family's style she didn't really need many, but most of the ones she did were mandatory for all ANBU members to learn. They were mostly associated with stealth; getting from one location to another without being heard or seen.

The one technique she had that wasn't associated with stealth was a fire based Ninjutsu that she had desired to learn so she could increase the effectiveness of one of her Hokage's collaboration techniques.

The technique she used to get through the barrier was one of the stealth based Ninjutsu she had been taught: The **Doton: Dochū Senkō** technique. It allowed the user to liquefy the ground and move through it as effortlessly as swimming. It also allowed her to exploit the one weakness of the barrier her Hokage had set up.

It didn't extend underground.

Unless someone knew Doton techniques it was impossible to exploit without machinery or a lot of man power so she wasn't too concerned about that, her Hokage probably wasn't either. Either way her Hokage would be done with freeing Kusano long before any non-chakra based techniques removed enough earth to get around the barrier.

Since Earth was Lotus' primary elemental affinity, with fire being her secondary, the few Doton techniques she did know she could use effortlessly due to her incredible chakra control; control that had been refined to perfection through years of hard work. She could use her earth based techniques without uttering the name of the technique of requiring hand signs.

Yume and Akitsu watched as Hanabi rose up from the ground just before the marble steps leading up into the ruined house.

"That's an interesting ability." Yume mused as she watched Hanabi disappear into the ruined mansion. "I wonder if it can be taught." The possibility was there. She knew that Hanabi's Sekirei abilities were gravity based. Although Yume wasn't an expert on gravity she wasn't aware of its capability to liquefy solid earth.

That meant it was an ability unrelated to her Sekirei powers.

"Ah, I think Hanabi-san's secrets should be her own." Akitsu said with a slight frown on her face, "Naruto-sama has helped me so much; I will not take Hanabi-san's abilities out of curiosity." She had to agree with Yume on one point though. It was a very interesting ability.

Yume hugged Akitsu and smiled at her. "You're so thoughtful Akitsu, but you're quite right. Besides we are plenty strong without Hanabi's abilities and we can get stronger still." Yume rubbed her cheek against Akitsu causing the quiet Sekirei to flush slightly. "Now come on we should spread out and make sure there isn't anyone hiding nearby."

Akitsu nodded her agreement and the two split off to circle the perimeter.

**x~X~x**

Lotus' eye twitched as she walked down the east wing of Hayato's mansion. The entire mansion rubbed her the wrong way. It looked opulent from the outside but the inside was just insane. Sure she had been rich back in Konoha but there were limits. This place was just ridiculous. It 'oozed' wealth. No Shinobi family would be caught dead with this much glitter. It just screamed 'Burglarize Me!'

There were far better things to spend ones wealth on then needless junk that did nothing but make you a better target to rob.

She felt a small twinge in the back of her eyes and grimaced. She knew what that meant. She had been using her Byakugan for several hours now and was beginning to feel the strain. The longest she had ever had it activated for was twelve hours but its effectiveness had started to decrease after four and after ten she struggled to see things within a hundred meters.

Thankfully if everything went according to plan they'd be back at their base long before eight hours had come and gone. She could rest then, until now she needed to keep them active and stay vigilant. Her Hokage would expect nothing less of her.

Her current destination was a void in her sight. The seals in the room where he was freeing Kusano would block anything and everything. It was a more powerful version of the barrier that surrounded the outside of the mansion. It prevented her from seeing anything within.

That was good news to Lotus however. If her Hokage was down the chakra feeding the sealing array would start to fade and she would have been able to see into the room. That the barrier was still strong enough to block her sight meant that the Hokage was still fine.

Lotus frowned slightly as she approached the room. Standing just outside it were two individuals. One of them she expected, it was the ANBU Captain. The other was the Sekirei Blanc. She had not been aware that her Hokage had planned to free more than one Sekirei. Kusano had been the sole objective.

It seemed as if his heart got the best of him again. No matter if that was what the Hokage wanted then she would accept his decision.

Lotus noticed Blanc tense up as she saw her walk towards them. She looked as if she was about to lift the over-sized axe beside her when the Captain placed a hand on her shoulder and calmed her down.

"Lotus-san, is everything outside alright? The three of you were supposed to keep watch while Naruto freed Kusano." The ANBU Captain asked.

"Akitsu and Yume said they could handle it. None of us felt at ease with the Hokage in here alone." Lotus noticed Blanc glaring at her chest, she stared back, "Is there a problem child?"

"I'm not a child bitch!" Blanc shouted, she reached for her axe but was stopped when the ANBU Captain squeezed her shoulder hard, "Don't assume I'm a child because you have bigger tits than me!"

Lotus blinked in surprise and glanced down at her chest. The armor and uniform did wonders to hide her breasts but even the standard ANBU gear could only hide so much. It was still obvious that she was well endowed.

Lotus looked back up and gave Blanc a deadpanned look. "I assumed you were a child because of your height, not your chest size." Lotus replied blandly, "And at times I wish I had a smaller chest. Large breasts are a nuisance in high speed combat and close quarters combat." This was an odd conversation to have although she meant what she had said. When she had sparred against others of equal speed and skill she had always lost because her chest size. It was a damn nuisance at times since not only did they try to keep going in the wrong direction when she made a quick change in direction it made her an easier target to hit.

The ANBU Captain sighed and spoke up to stop the impending explosion. Breasts were a touchy subject with Blanc. He pointed his hand towards her, "Blanc, this is Hanabi, although at the moment she's going by the codename Lotus. She's been with Naruto for years and was his first Sekirei."

"Oh, so you were his first?"

"Yes."

Blanc looked up at the ANBU Captain, "He wasn't lying when he said he liked small breasts was he?"

A brief flame of anger flickered inside her; she did not like that implication. The Hokage may hide things, but he never lied. "The Hokage-sama… Naruto-sama, is able to appreciate all types of women. Even those..." Lotus glanced down at Blanc's chest, "Less fortunate than others."

The ANBU Captain groaned. This could only end one…

"YOU BITCH! Don't think you're better than me just because of those oversized bags of fat!" Blanc shouted in rage. Her eyes flashed red as she pointed at Lotus, "He did lie didn't he! I knew it! He prefers large chested women doesn't he!"

Lotus blurred out of sight and a moment later Blanc collapsed to the floor. Killing intent filled the air as Lotus glared down at the small Sekirei with anger in her eyes. The sight of the veined eyes peering into the depth of her soul from within that intimidating mask frightened the blue-haired Sekirei. Blanc tried to move but realized she couldn't feel her legs or arms.

"Listen to me, and listen well. Naruto-sama would never lie. He is above that. You should be 'honored' by the fact that he bothered to even take an interest in you." Lotus hissed as she ramped up her killing intent and force of presence. "Naruto-sama may have his faults but there doesn't exist a better man than him and I won't stand you slandering him so." Lotus was on the verge of terminating the insolent Sekirei right then and there.

"Lotus! Stop!" The ANBU Captain snapped. She stiffened and slowly stood up. The pressure she had been exerting before disappeared. Technically the two held the same rank but she deferred to the ANBU Captain because of his creator.

"Captain?" Lotus asked in confusion. She didn't understand.

The ANBU Captain sighed and scratched the top of his head. "Lotus, I want you to meet Blanc, Naruto-sama's newest Sekirei."

Lotus eyes widened in surprise and she whipped her head around to stare at Blanc again. This time she searched deep within her, analyzing each aspect of her body. The ANBU Captain was correct. There was her Hokage's chakra in all the right places that indicated she was bound to him.

"What? This wasn't…"

"The unexpected happens." The Captain interrupted her. "You of all people should realize just how easy it is for something to go wrong or shift unexpectedly over the course of a mission. As it is I'm surprised things have gone as smoothly as they have. It's a welcome relief after what's happened to us in the past."

"But another Sekirei?"

"Technically it was an accident." The Captain replied, "She did something we hadn't thought was possible. To make a long story short Naruto-sama made her angry enough at Mikogami Hayato that she completely rejected the bond and unwinged herself. None of us realized this until their lips accidentally met and she became winged."

"So it was completely unintentional?"

"Yes."

Lotus' shoulders slumped as she sighed in resignation, "Just like the other two."

"Pretty much."

Lotus knelt down and unblocked the flow of chakra into Blanc's limbs, "I apologize for my earlier actions but please don't think so little of Naruto-sama." Lotus said as she straightened. Blanc mumbled something that sound like an acceptance as she tried to restore feeling in her limbs. "As bad as it sounds Naruto-sama was taught by the greatest erotic writer and perverted master of our time. He was taught to appreciate all female forms. Yume, Akitsu and I, we're all similar in body type. You're the first one that's different and in a sense that's an advantage since you're the only one that can satisfy that area of… interest."

Damn this was an awkward conversation. Lotus couldn't believe she was saying all this. It's not that Naruto-sama was into children, because he wasn't and he'd gladly sacrifice his own life to prevent that sort of abuse towards them. It was probably better to say that he could accept and love mature women of all types, even those that unfortunately stopped growing early.

Blanc would probably never be 'beautiful' so to speak, but she could practically define the word 'cute' with her looks. Even she had to admit that Blanc was absolutely adorable, when she wasn't completely enraged anyways.

"He really likes small breasts?" Blanc murmured as she slowly rose from the ground.

"He likes all breasts." Lotus muttered as she glared at the ground, "Don't be fooled by any exterior he may show, beneath it all he's a shameless pervert." A soft look crossed Blanc's face and Lotus could see relief in her eyes.

Hanabi grumbled slightly to herself. She might as well put the mask away. Her Lotus persona had pretty much been ruined by now. With a sigh she removed the mask from her face.

"Hanabi?" The Captain asked worriedly. It wasn't like her to drop out of habit while in mid-mission.

"Lotus is going to sleep for a while. She served her purpose." Hanabi said as she bit her thumb. With a quick wipe she brushed a bit of blood over a seal and suddenly her ANBU clothes were replaced with her normal ones.

The mission was basically complete. The targets were all taken out and there was nothing anyone could do to link her targets to Naruto. Well at least no 'solid' evidence like eye witnesses, videos, or physical evidence. All that was left was for Naruto to finish up here and head back to base.

She was aware of how out of character it was for her but the whole situation with Blanc had completely jarred her out of her persona.

"What is taking him so long?" Hanabi asked as she peered into the room. Naruto should have been done by now, it was well past the estimated time it should have taken to free Kusano.

"We're freeing a second Sekirei, third if you include Blanc." The Captain said as he walked up beside her.

There was a little girl sleeping peacefully at the far side of the room. A blanket had and a couple pillows had been laid out beneath her. She was curled up into a little ball with a stuffed fox clutched tightly in her arms.

That was probably Kusano and from the looks of it Naruto was finished with her as he was on the right side of the room dealing with someone else.

That someone else was a second Sekirei. From what she was wearing Hanabi was able to match it with the description she had read of the Sekirei Mitsuki. She was the sister of Mitsuha and was supposed to have been the Sekirei their inside ANBU operative would take care of.

Hanabi supposed this was one way of taking care of it. Speaking of said ANBU operative she couldn't see him anywhere. She made another more intense sweep of the area and noticed something interesting. There was a little puppy clutched in Mitsuki's arms, pressed tightly to her chest. The puppy also had a very large and complex chakra network.

That would be the ANBU operative. Taking a closer look she noticed several more things. The first was that Mitsuki was completely naked save for a pair of panties and she was restrained in placed seals, although Naruto had been thoughtful enough to allow her arms to be restrained across her chest so she could hold her 'pet'.

Focusing on her Naruto she could easily make out what he was doing to the Sekirei. While most people would think the best way to remove Hayato's chakra from his Sekirei would be to extract it Naruto didn't have the necessary control for that. He was more of a brute force kind of person. This meant he had to take an alternative approach to it.

Instead of extracting, he was attacking. He'd surrounding a portion of the chakra and would just overwhelm it with his own. It was very tricky when dealing with chakra in the mind because a little mistake or slip could cause major damage to the brain.

From the looks of it though he was almost done. There were only a few spots in Mitsuki's mind where Mikogami Hayato's chakra still existed.

"Will he be staying with her after the bond is broken?" Hanabi asked softly as she eyed the puppy held in Mitsuki's arms.

"Yes, he already transferred his memories thus far to Naruto-sama. He's fulfilled his task well. He'll stay with Mitsuki." The Captain whispered. They kept their voices low so that Mitsuki couldn't hear them.

"What about chakra issues? Clones don't last forever, especially while maintaining a transformation. Not to mention a single strong hit and it will dispel." With everything that had happened Mitsuki was going to be very lonely after this. That puppy will be her only lifeline for the next little while.

"We'll figure a more permanent solution out later but for now Naruto-sama intends to address the chakra issue by sending a clone over every so often to refill him."

It wasn't much of a plan but it would have to do for now. Hopefully Mitsuki would find a new Ashikabi, a better one, before anything bad happened.

"Looks like he just finished." Hanabi said as she watched the last of Mikogami Hayato's chakra get destroyed. It was such an inelegant way of doing it but it was effective.

"Yes." The Captain agreed as they watched Naruto sit back, exhausted. He wasn't physically tired but freeing two Sekirei back-to-back was very mentally demanding, especially for someone like Naruto.

As Naruto slowly stood up the restraining seals around Mitsuki faded away. They had really been put there for her own safety, not for Naruto's. Without her weapon, or her clothing, she was harmless to someone like Naruto.

"You're free, your life and your will are now your own again." They heard Naruto say as he slowly made his way over to Kusano.

"Really?" Mitsuki asked her voice thick with hope and relief.

"Bark! Bark!" The puppy began to slobber his tongue all over Mitsuki's face.

"Ahaha! Stop that!" Mitsuki said as she giggled uncontrollably.

A soft smile creased Hanabi's face as she looked on. Naruto had made the right call. Without Mikogami Hayato's influence over her she looked so happy and carefree.

"Yes, you're free. What you do with your life from here on out is up to you." Naruto knelt down and gently picked Kusano up.

Mitsuki smiled happily and rubbed her nose against Fluffy's. The ANBU disguised as a puppy barked happily. "Haha! I love you too!" Mitsuki said as she kissed her pet.

'Fluffy' licked mouth at the same time and a miracle happened. A dozen bright yellow wings exploded from the back of Mitsuki.

Everyone just stopped dead and stared in shock and surprise.

"What the fuck was that?" Blanc said as she stared at the wings in total shock, "Did a little puppy…"

"…Just wing…" Hanabi continued.

"…Mitsuki?" The Captain finished and the same incredulous tone as the other two.

Naruto looked slowly turned his head from the brilliant wings that were slowly disappearing back into Mitsuki to look at everyone gathered outside the room. There was a look of total shock and incomprehension on his face. One could almost see question marks and exclamation marks appearing around his head.

Hanabi couldn't hold it in anymore. She just started to laugh. Her tinkling melodious laughter echoed through the mansion as she turned away and crossed the hall. She couldn't take it anymore. She just couldn't. This always happened to Naruto. No matter how well he planned something out this kind of ridiculous situation always happened.

It was just too much for Hanabi as she collapsed on the floor and began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Ha, ha, ha." Naruto said as he strode from the room. There was still a look of total 'what the fuck' on his face as he stared down at the hysterical Hanabi. "I'm glad you're finding this amusing but we still need to get out of here before MBI arrives." Naruto held Kusano out and the ANBU Captain gently took her from his arms.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto-kun. Well no, maybe I'm not, but it's just too funny. You just never get a break." Hanabi gasped out between fits of laughter.

Naruto muttered something incoherent under his breath and looked over at Blanc. "I'm finished with Mikogami Hayato now. Like I promised earlier you can finish him off."

Blanc looked over at her former master. Now that Naruto was finished the seal had deactivated. Mikogami Hayato was still alive, but it was dubious as to whether or not there was anything inside anymore. His open eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. She could see his chest slowly rise and fall but there was no other movement.

It was like he was a vegetable; capable of existing but nothing more.

"No, he's not worth my time." Blanc said as she turned from the room, "I have you now." She still hated Mikogami Hayato for the way he had treated her but she wasn't a cold blooded killer.

She probably would have killed him earlier, in the heat of the moment, but she would have regretted it later. That was one more thing she would have to find some way to thank her new Ashikabi for.

Naruto smiled and pulled Blanc into an embrace. Blanc flushed deeply at the sudden unexpected show of affection, "I'm proud of you. Vengeance for the sake of vengeance is worthless. It only leads you down a path towards self-destruction." Sasuke had been proof of that. He had lived for revenge and it had forced Naruto to kill him.

One could argue this entire campaign against Mikogami Hayato had been for the sake of vengeance. Naruto preferred to see it as something more. Multiple Sekirei that had been forced into servitude under the insane child were now free, although a couple of them had been immediately re-winged through ridiculous circumstances. More importantly however no other unwinged Sekirei would have to fear someone like Mikogami Hayato forcefully taking them away from their real Ashikabi.

Naruto didn't know how many unwinged Sekirei were left, but those that were didn't have to worry about someone like Mikogami anymore.

That was justification enough for Naruto.

"Ah, I want to thank you again." Mitsuki said as she left the room, the puppy was held gently in her arms. The puppy also had a look of 'what the hell just happened' on its face.

Naruto slipped a hand down the back of Blanc's suit, "You're welcome." Naruto replied as he manipulated the chakra at his finger tips and sent a command into Blanc's crest, "It feels like I've spent my whole life fighting against those that would force others into servitude."

"If you ever need my help."

Naruto held a hand up to stop her and smiled, "No, you've been through enough already. Although it's rather unorthodox you have a new Ashikabi now. So long as you're happy that's enough for me."

With a smile she brought the puppy up to her cheek and hugged him tightly, "Yes I do!"

Blanc gently pushed her self away from Naruto and scratched her chest, "You just bound a fricken dog." Blanc stated as she gazed at Mitsuki with a deadpanned expression.

"Yup!" Mitsuki said cheerfully, "A puppy is much better than that Mikogami bastard!"

Blanc opened and closed her mouth a few times. Finally she just shrugged, "Well I suppose you right about that." Blanc probably wouldn't have chosen a puppy for her Ashikabi but Mitsuki had a point about one being a better alternative.

"We're going to head out." Naruto told Mitsuki, "You should head back to your room and get dressed. MBI will probably be here soon and you may not want to be here when they arrive."

"Ah! You're right! Thanks again Naruto-san, I hope we meet again someday." Mitsuki said as she raced down the hallway to her room.

"That's one odd girl." Blanc said as she watched Mitsuki disappear into her room.

"Do you have anything you need?" Naruto asked his newest Sekirei.

Blanc thought for a moment and then shook her head, "No, I have everything. Unless you can find some way of taking the entire library with you I'm fine."

"Hmm…" Naruto brought his hands up and created a dozen clones. He channeled some chakra into the seal on his shoulder and brought out a few sealing scrolls. "Here you guys, go find the library and seal up every book that isn't ruined. Afterwards head straight to the base, don't stop for anything, you're not durable enough to be of use in a fight." Naruto said as he tossed the scrolls to his newly made clones.

"Right boss!" The clones said in unison and quickly headed down the hall.

Blanc stared at them in surprise, "You're not really capable of packing up the entire library right?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno, not sure how many books are in there. They'll get what they can though."

"I'm REALLY going to have to find some way to show you my appreciation." Blanc said in wonderment.

"You don't need to worry about that, if it makes you happy that's enough for me." Naruto said with a grin.

Blanc flushed deeply, how could such a kind person exist? She scratched her chest again.

Hanabi slowly picked herself off the floor, her fits of laughter having finally subsided enough to stand. "What makes this even more ironic." Hanabi started as she her eyes lingered on Mitsuki's door, "Is that Mitsuki last name is Inuzuka."

"That actually makes her new Ashikabi somewhat legitimate." Naruto commented lamely. He let out a short laugh as well and with a shake of his head he turned back to the operation room, "Anyways, only one last loose end to tie up." Naruto said as he closed the door.

The seal built into the door connected with the seals on the wall and completed a secondary seal. A massive explosion rocked the building as the outside wall of the room blew out in a massive fiery ball of death. There was a loud roar as the second floor caved in and crushed everything inside that hadn't been instantly burnt to ash.

"And that takes care of him." Naruto said as he put his arm around Hanabi's waist. "Let's get out of here shall we?"

Hanabi leaned into him as they made their way down the hall. The ANBU was quick to follow and Blanc picked up the rear. Behind them the fire from the explosion began to spread. By the time MBI got there the entire mansion would be one giant inferno, erasing all evidence of their presence.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**Jutsu List**

**Hanabi:**

**Doton: Dochū Senkō (**Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage**)**

**Naruto:**

**Doton: Doryūdan** **no Jutsu (**Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet**)**

**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet**)**

**Fūton: Kazeyūdan no Jutsu (**Wind Release: Wind Dragon Bullet**)**

Just so you know, I don't know where the winging of Blanc came from. That wasn't planned even remotely before I got to this chapter. She was meant to be nothing but fodder, that's it. A quick name, freed from Hayato's grasp, and then forgotten as she went out to search for her real Ashikabi.

That scene where Naruto winged her, I didn't even realized I had written it until after I had written it. I literally gaped at it as much as my characters did. When I went back and read over it… I felt it just fit too well to get rid of so I decided to stick with it. Love her or hate her, she's here to stay, I've already integrated her too fully into my story to remove her. She'll also end up being my solution to Naruto's information problem, or at least one of the solutions. If you know nothing about her I suggest reading up on her then, she's quite an interesting character. Also get the series, the series is awesome, few games make me laugh or smile as much as that series does.


	19. Chapter 18: Civil War

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: This chapter is an interesting one for me. It wasn't originally planned and by putting it in I basically added an extra 100,000 words to my story scattered throughout various chapters. It's also added a whole new level of depth to my story.**

**Review Responses:** In a couple chapters, chapter 20, there will be a complete and final explanation on what's happening with Mitsuki and the dog clone. Every concern and question people have mentioned about that particular pair thus far is addressed at that point. Arthain and Sasha are wrapped up in this chapter, although their situation is expanded on a bit in chapter 20 since there are similarities between their situation and the dog clone. The reason for this is the final bit of explanation requires the passage of time before it can be realistically explained.

MBI's response to Naruto's assault on Mikogami Hayato is in this chapter. It basically IS this chapter.

If you want info on Blanc go check out the Hyperdimension Neptunia wikia. Search for Blanc and you'll find it.

**Chapter 18: Civil War**

With a flare of his chakra Naruto manipulated it into the seal in the ground. The barrier around the mansion flickered and began to disperse, starting at the center of the barrier above the mansion and working its way down to ground level.

"Hmm, you're different than most Ashikabi." Blanc murmured as she watched the barrier fall, "It never really sank in until now but you're definitely not normal."

"What can I say? I'm just awesome." Naruto said with a grin.

There was a flicker of movement that caught Blanc's attention. From either side of the mansion Akitsu and Yume appeared.

"What the fuck is that?!" Blanc cried out as she pointed at Yume.

"What's wrong Blanc?" Naruto asked.

Yume stopped just a few feet away and looked around curiously; she too had no idea what Blanc was pointing at. "What do you mean?" Yume asked.

"I'm talking about those things!" Blanc said as she jabbed her finger at Yume's breasts. "What the hell kind of cheat code did you use to get those?! Those aren't normal!" Blanc whirled around on Naruto with a scowl on her face, "Did you make her breasts bigger too?"

Yume looked at her breasts in confusion as she cupped them in her hands. Naruto just laughed and embraced Blanc tightly. "No, no, she's always had those. If anything blame MBI. I can make yours that big if you want."

"Hell no! Those thunder tits are ridiculous, how can you expect to be taken seriously with those things flopping all over the place?!" Yume adopted a slightly hurt expression. Blanc's grumbling's grew quiet, "You like small… maybe just a bit more…" The words were too quiet for anyone but Naruto to pick up as she mumbled them into his chest. Naruto smiled down at his small Sekirei and gently rubbed her back.

"That is one of Mikogami's." Akitsu said. While she had not been privy to all of her Ashikabi's plans it didn't sit well with her that some unknown Sekirei was in his arms. That's where she wanted to be.

"Was." Naruto corrected, "It's an interesting story, I'll tell you about it later."

"She's Naruto's newest Sekirei." Hanabi said with some amusement. She just couldn't be upset with him over this. What had happened was just so ludicrous that if it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have happened at all.

"Oh! So she's one of us now." Yume said with a wide grin, her earlier hurt disappeared instantly, "I can't wait to hear the story behind this."

Blanc blushed. She would have glowered at Yume but her face was still buried in Naruto's chest and she wasn't in any hurry to pull out. "You don't need to know how it happened." She mumbled in embarrassment. Now that she had time to think about it, it was kind of embarrassing that she had lost her cool so easily with her previous Ashikabi.

_Kurama, did you…_ Naruto started as he let Blanc out of his embrace. The girls began to introduce themselves to each other.

_Yes, don't worry; I didn't want to deal with another incident like before. I did a re-imprint almost immediately that way if something went wrong, well, at least you weren't very attached to her. _The nine-tailed fox replied.

_There weren't any problems I take it._

_None that I can see thus far, I'll keep an eye on it from in here. She's got spunk; I like her more than the others._

_Thanks, that means there shouldn't be any problems for Akitsu tomorrow._

_Hopefully not but you tend to have the worst luck at times._ Kurama replied.

Naruto couldn't help but agree. "We should get going." Naruto said as he interrupted the Sekirei, "We need to be gone before MBI arrives." Half of the mansion behind Naruto was already engulfed in flames.

Sakura and Ino should already be back, or at least be close, to the hide out and he could sense the clones he had sent out to collect the library leaving the property discreetly.

Naruto looked over at Hanabi, "You should put the mask back on. You don't need to become Lotus but you're supposed to be in the Hospital. There's going to be some questions asked we don't want to answer if you're seen in two different places at the same time." At the moment virtually no one knew Hanabi even existed, and the few that did knew virtually nothing about what she was capable of.

While he was becoming a relatively known quantity, Hanabi was still very much unknown. That was an advantage Naruto wanted to keep for as long as possible.

"Alright." Hanabi said as she transformed back into her ANBU outfit and slipped the mask on.

With nothing left to do there everyone headed back to their underground bunker.

**x~X~x**

They had adopted a loose combat formation on the way home. It was a diamond pattern formation with Naruto in the middle. Hanabi had taken the lead and used her eyes to pick out the best path to avoid any sort of confrontation. Akitsu and Blanc were to either side and Yume picked up the rear. In the middle of the formation was Naruto along with the ANBU Captain carrying Kusano.

Their trip thus far had been relatively quiet and peaceful but that changed quickly when Naruto noticed Hanabi's head snap to something in the distance.

"Naruto-kun!" Hanabi called out from her forward position, "There's a Sekirei and an Ashikabi two miles ahead on the rooftop."

"Can we go around them?" Naruto called out, there had been enough death today and he had nothing against this particular pair.

"No, every other path takes us too close to the ground or is swarmed with MBI troops." She called back. She and Naruto knew that their actions down here would stir up MBI. They were dead set on retrieving down Sekirei and with this many taken out of action so quickly they had no doubt in their minds that MBI would be down here in full force.

It was why they had wanted to leave the mansion so quickly. They had left just in time too. MBI had begun to surround the property as they made a hasty escape.

The thing that worried Hanabi the most was the sheer number of troops MBI had at their disposal. Virtually every street had patrols of one form or another. She had even seen a tank column a few blocks back complete with support trucks, ground troops, and APC's.

And then there was the air force. The air was literally alive with helicopters of various sorts. She was able to easily identify the personnel carriers that MBI normally utilized but there were others she hadn't been able to identify.

But from the sheer number of armaments on them she doubted they were for peaceful purposes.

"Can we wall walk?" Naruto frowned; they were quickly running out of options. Taking the time to free Mitsuki was turning out to be a giant risk. So far there hadn't been any problems but they've already had to take two detours to avoid detection.

"No, there are a large number of armed individuals in the structure. I can't see any civilians; this is probably a Yakuza hideout. They're watching the streets like a hawk and the Ashikabi and Sekirei are on the rooftop. There are also four just behind the door leading to the rooftop playing some kind of card game." Hanabi called out. They were only a mile away now. A decision had to be made quickly.

"Any way to tell which side it is?"

"No, they all look the same- Wait they just started shooting at people in the street!"

"Are they shooting at innocents?" Yume snapped, her attention now fully on the conversation. Fear momentarily gripped her as the face of the dead child from earlier came back.

"No, it appears to be a fight between the Yakuza…." Hanabi growled as her eyes picked up on something else, "No! People are getting caught in the crossfire!" There were already several people down due to ricochet and mistaken targets.

"Naruto-kun! We can't let innocents get caught up in a war we started." Yume said as she quickly caught up to her Ashikabi.

A grim expression crossed Naruto's face as he eyed the building that was rapidly approaching. Yume was right, criminals killing each other was fine, innocents dying as a result was not. "Alright, we're taking that building out. Hanabi, knock the Ashikabi out. Blanc you take out the Sekirei, make it fast. Akitsu, freeze the door to the rooftop shut. Yume, blast a hole through the roof of the building to street level. Captain, keep going and don't stop, I want you couple buildings ahead before I make my move." Naruto quickly barked out his orders, "Let's move people, I want them taken out before they even realize we're there!"

There were a chorus of agreements.

Moments later the five of them leapt from the last building towards their target. Like an unstoppable force they swarmed over the unlucky Ashikabi and his Sekirei.

The moment Hanabi's feet touched the gravel rooftop she flashed across it and was instantly at the Ashikabi's side. Her arms blurred as she lashed out with her Gentle Fist striking key areas around the body. Ligaments snapped, muscles tore, and nerves burnt out as Hanabi disabled the Ashikabi before he could even open his mouth to scream. In mid collapse she grabbed the collar of his shirt and threw him off the rooftop. He screamed as he hurtled through the air and smashed through one of the windows in the neighbouring building.

The Sekirei whipped around as she heard her Ashikabi scream. "No!" She cried out as she watched in disbelief as her Ashikabi was thrown into the next building. "You bitch!" The Sekirei snarled as she moved to attack Hanabi.

Only to find that she was stuck. She glanced down and noticed ice creeping up her legs. "What?" Was all she managed to say before a spinning Blanc was upon her.

"Zerstörung!" Blanc shouted as she finished her spin. There was a massive boom as Blanc slammed the back of her axe into the Sekirei. The Sekirei screamed as she was ripped from the icy embrace and knocked into the horizon.

Yume jumped across the breadth of the rooftop. At the height of her jump she flipped her body around so that she faced downwards, "Ether Blast!" Yume shouted as she fired a massive beam of energy from her open palm. The energy beam ripped through the rooftop and continued on down through the structure.

Naruto pulled out a small spherical object. It was a new three-dimensional seal he had created in his spare time. He wasn't quite sure how powerful it was. It was a rather compact design but it was filled to its limit with fire chakra.

With a casual toss he dropped it into the newly made hole that Yume had created. "Quick, get to the next building!" Naruto shouted as he leapt off the current one. The others were quick to follow.

Once they were all safely off the building Naruto held up a single hand sign, "Kai!"

The five of them were knocked off their feet as the building behind them vaporized. A massive pillar of flame shot upwards into the sky. The heat from the blast threatened to scorch the five of them from its intensity. Thankfully most of the blast was directed upwards due to the large hole that Yume had created, otherwise the blast would have taken out the entire block.

"HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE FRICKIN HELL WAS THAT?!" Blanc cried out in shock and disbelief as she struggled back to her feet. That was the biggest explosion she had ever seen in her life.

"Uh, something new I created?" Naruto said sheepishly. He didn't expect the explosion to be THAT large. I mean, who knew that making seals three-dimensional exponentially increased their effectiveness? He had simply meant to blow out the levels, not vaporize the building.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, I know you love your seals and all but maybe you shouldn't make that particular one again." Hanabi said as she eyed the devastation left behind. With the exception of the building they were on all the buildings around the target had caught on fire.

"Ah, you're probably right." Naruto said as he dusted off. "Collateral damage is too easy to cause with something like that." Maybe he should use wind next time instead of fire.

"Do you have any way to put out the fires?" Yume asked, but even as she spoke the sky opened up and it began to rain.

Well that was a blessing if Naruto hadn't ever seen one. Rain would wash away their scents, hide their movements, and take care of the fire, or at least make it less intense until the fire department arrived. "Hanabi, is there any one in danger from the fire?"

"No, most of the people started to run the moment the shooting started. The few people still in the buildings have already begun to flee, unless someone deliberately jumps into the fire it won't cause any harm." Hanabi said as she eyed the surroundings. Well the Ashikabi may have trouble but the building they were on hadn't caught fire.

She cursed suddenly as her eyes began to sting. While she could keep her Byakugan going for twelve hours straight, that was while being idle and doing nothing. This intense continuous use of it was shortening her ability. She was rapidly losing her ability to see things.

Naruto turned to Yume, "I can but it'll take time to control it so it doesn't do more damage than the fire. The rain should be enough until the fire department gets here." The fire was already showing signs of weakening although Naruto doubted it would fully extinguish by the weather alone.

"Ah, are you alright Hanabi-san?" Akitsu asked in concern as she saw Hanabi grimace while rubbing her eyes.

Naruto was at her side in an instant, "You idiot, you've been over-straining your eyes haven't you? Turn them off for now and rest them." He said as he noticed the pain and fatigue that prolonged use of her eyes were causing her.

"I can still-." She started to protest.

"That's an order Hanabi." Naruto said seriously. Her eyes were a luxury, not a necessity. He and the others were powerful; there wasn't anything in Shinto Teito that could stand against the five of them together.

Hanabi grumbled for a moment before, with a sigh, she turned off her Byakugan. She immediately felt better as the strain disappeared. The cool rain that dripped behind her mask and over her face was a nice relief as well.

"Alright, let's keep moving." Naruto said as he took off again. They had covered half the distance to their destination. There was going to be a point where they'd have to cross through an open park and he wanted to get through there before the rain let up.

"Just out of curiosity Blanc…" Yume asked as she eyed their newest addition to the swarm, "Where exactly did you knock that Sekirei to?"

Blanc blinked a couple times and then shrugged, "I dunno, somewhere over there." Blanc said as she pointed to a random place in the distance that vaguely resembled the direction the Sekirei had flown.

**x~X~x**

Miles away and some fifty floors up from street level, a Sekirei slammed into the side of MBI headquarters and became embedded deep into the steel reinforced concrete outer wall.

**x~X~x**

"You're far stronger than I had thought you were." Yume commented as she eyed Blanc's thin arms. Yume knew that Blanc had to be at least strong enough to easily swing that large axe but she hadn't really given any thought to just 'how' strong she actually was.

"Anyone would get strong lugging this thing around." Blanc said as she whirled the axe around in her hands expertly as if it was feather light, "The fricken thing weighs three tons." Everyone paused for a moment and stared at Blanc in shock. "What?"

Naruto turned to Hanabi, "Remind me never to piss Blanc off enough that she feels the need to hit me."

"Yes, that might be a very good idea." Hanabi agreed as she too eyed Blanc's deceptively frail frame. Apparently having a small compact body meant that the chakra was more compact as well and allowed for greater concentration, and thus a greater increase, to a Sekirei's strength. At least that's what Hanabi was assuming. Any other explanation was just too wild to consider.

"Naruto-sama, we're coming up to the park." The ANBU Captain commented from just ahead of them.

Naruto quickened his pace and caught up to the Captain. He was right, two more buildings and they'd be at the edge. This would be the trickiest part of the journey, the place where the greatest number of things could go wrong. So long as they stuck to the rooftops the chances of encountering others were greatly reduced. The moment they hit ground level it was completely different.

The group paused at the edge of the last building just beside the park. It was a rather large park, a good half of it was filled with trees, but provided very little cover as all the underbrush and lower limbs of the trees had been cut away to make it more favorable to human use. There were large sections of the park that were wide open, including a large swath that cut the park in half that they would have to travel through. Going around it wasn't an option since Hanabi had noticed troop movements heading to either side of the park earlier.

While it looked peaceful at the moment Naruto knew what was going to happen. It was almost a certainty with him around.

"Hanabi, take Kusano and head to the complex alone." Naruto said as he tried in vain to wipe the water from his face. The rain was coming down even harder now. They were all going to be soaked through to the bone by the end of this.

Well except perhaps Blanc who was the only person with waterproof clothing.

The ANBU Captain approached Hanabi and held out the little girl. "I'm not sure I understand." Hanabi said as she took the girl into her arms.

With a puff of smoke the ANBU Captain disappeared, "Well aside from the Captain being out of chakra we are going to get ambushed in that park. I can feel it in my bones. You can get Kusano to the underground complex without anyone knowing. Use every bit of stealth you possess and get her there safely. Afterwards keep a lookout and protect our base. There's an ill-wind blowing and it will be a comfort to know that there's a safe haven waiting for us after weathering the storm."

"Aren't you being a little paranoid?" Blanc asked as she stabbed her axe into the rooftop, "Everything has been going perfectly so far, well aside from your over-the-top display of fireworks."

Hanabi groaned, "I understand." She said as she finally understood, "I'll make sure Kusano get there's safely. You just make sure you keep these three safe. I don't want to hear any more bad news."

Hanabi knew what it was that had put Naruto on edge. Everything today had gone absolutely flawless. Sure there had been some unexpected incidents but they had actually turned out to benefit Naruto in the long run. Nothing goes this right for someone, not unless there was something to balance it out.

One could argue that point by saying that this entire operation was to balance his originally botched Kusano Rescue attempt but that would be giving Naruto too much of a break. As sure as it was raining right now something was bearing down on Naruto.

And he wanted to make sure that Kusano was out of the way before it arrived. With her skills she could get herself and Kusano to the complex with ease. She could even walk openly down the street and no one would notice her, especially in a rain storm such as this.

"I will, I refuse to lose anyone else." Naruto promised and kissed Hanabi on the top of her head. "Stay safe and stay hidden." He said as he gave her a quick embrace.

"I'll see you at Charlie Point tonight." Hanabi said and suddenly she was gone. Naruto knew she was still in the area but knew that no matter how hard he, or anyone else, tried to find her she would remain hidden.

"Be prepared for anything." Naruto said to his Sekirei. With a lunge he jumped from the top of the building to the sidewalk below. The sidewalk fractured as he landed hard. Two more loud thumps could be heard as Akitsu and Yume landed beside him.

Naruto looked around curiously for Blanc, he hadn't heard her land. He saw her not far from him levitating slightly off the ground. It was her shoes. They had anti-gravity components built into them so that she wouldn't fall through or destroy whatever surface she walked on because of the enormous axe she wielded.

"I gotta get me a pair of those shoes, preferably in orange." Naruto murmured to himself. He could silence his footsteps and mask his movements but there were always signs that an experienced tracker could use. If he could levitate instead of walk however, good luck ever tracking him then.

"Did you say something?" Blanc asked curiously as she noticed him staring at her.

"No, nothing, let's get moving." Naruto said as he quickly jogged across the street.

"I still think you're overly paranoid about this whole thing." Blanc said as the group ran through the park. They were making good time and at this rate would be out of it in five minutes.

"If we make it back to safety without encountering any trouble I'll let you laugh and ridicule me all you want." Naruto said as he kept a keen eye on his surroundings. He would prefer to be laughed and made fun of than to encounter any problems this late in the operation.

"Nothing is going to happen." Blanc insisted as the four of them broke out into the middle of the park, the large open strip.

The ground started to rumble.

Naruto cursed, "That doesn't feel like an earthquake…" Naruto said and as he picked up the pace. He didn't want to stop and find out what that was.

"I don't feel anything." Blanc said as she floated a couple inches off the ground. She was using her anti-gravity boots to stay off the muddy grass.

"Ah, helicopters." Akitsu said as she pointed above them.

The other three quickly looked up and sure enough Akitsu was right. Above them was a civilian helicopter slowly circling the area. Naruto squinted as he tried to make out some details but it was too far away, all he could make out was the colors and a logo that marked it as a news report helicopter. It didn't seem to be focusing on them however as it was directly overhead and that would make filming difficult.

"It doesn't seem to be focused on-." Naruto was cut off as an explosion lit the sky. Naruto whipped his head to the side and gaped at the explosion as a heavily armed helicopter shot past the remains of another. "Why the hell is MBI shooting its own people?"

A deep throated growl emanated from Yume as she stopped beside him. She glared at the attack helicopter. "That's not MBI!" Yume had seen those gunships before. They weren't part of the standard MBI force, or even their Special Forces.

They were foreign. After the last major war a major foreign nation from across the ocean had set up multiple military bases within Japan to help keep the peace. They had also been the nation that launched the attack on Kamikura Island and nearly killed Musubi.

The rumbling in the ground grew more intense.

"Then who are they?" Naruto asked. There was another explosion as the attack helicopter that had taken out the MBI personnel helicopter slammed into a building. The cross-winds up there must be nasty if it caused the helicopter to go out of control like that.

Suddenly the sky lit up as a massive explosion erupted from one of the buildings near the park. Pieces of the twenty story apartment building were sent hurtling through the air and the entire building began to collapse upon itself. It was as if someone had taken out the entire foundation of the building, and a good chunk of the first few floors.

"They are-."

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING STANDING OUT IN THE OPEN? RUN YOU IDIOTS!" A shout from across the field drew their attention.

Naruto whirled around and growled. "Arthain? Sasha? What are you two doing here?!" Naruto demanded. This was NOT where the two of them should be, although technically both of them should have dispelled long ago so they really shouldn't be anywhere.

"What part of RUN do you have trouble understanding?!" Arthain shouted, the clone of Naruto took a quick look over his shoulder. "Ah fuck!"

"What-."

"HIT THE DECK!" Arthain shouted as he tackled Sasha to the ground and covered her with his body. "TANK!"

Naruto hadn't noticed them because the rain had concealed their presence. Arthain had only been able to see them due to his closer proximity. There was a tank column driving into the park.

A tank column that had already fired its first volley.

A hastily erected psychic barrier from Sasha deflected or stopped most of the shots but a couple rounds got through. One of them went wide but the last one went straight for the group.

Blanc was directly between Naruto and the tanks, and right in the path of an oncoming round. Before she could even scream she tripped and watched in surprise as the shell skimmed across her chest.

For the first time in her life she was thankful she had small breasts.

Unfortunately that left Naruto in the path of the shell. He tried a quick substitution but his chakra control slipped, "Shit…" Was all he could say before the tank shell hit him in the chest. The shell exploded on contact and he disappeared from view in a mighty ball of fire and smoke. Naruto felt his feet lift up from the ground as he was hurled violently through the air. His body twisted and spun through the air as intense pain flared across his body. The last thoughts that flittered through his mind before everything went dark was just how right he had been that something bad was about to happen.

Naruto's Sekirei stared on in wide-eyed horror as everything played out for them in slow motion. The impact of the shell, the vicious knockback, the explosion of fire and smoke, the bloody and ruined body that spun out from then cloud of smoke and the dull thud as Naruto slammed violently into the ground.

The unmoving body.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Yume screamed in horror as she rushed to his side. Akitsu and Blanc reached his side just as fast. "No! No! NO!" Yume couldn't believe this was happening. Naruto was supposed to be invulnerable, an unstoppable juggernaut. He couldn't get hurt, he couldn't die, not like this.

She began to cry and her tears mixed with the rain to create a torrent sorrow. She stared down at her ruined Ashikabi; there was a large chunk of Naruto's right side missing. A large pool of blood had already formed beneath him and was getting larger by the minute. She quickly felt for his pulse and found it, but it was very slow.

It was a Sekirei's duty to fight for their Ashikabi, to protect them from all dangers.

And she had failed.

"Holy shit!" Arthain exclaimed as he stared down at his former boss, "That's going to leave a nasty scar in the morning."

"How can you joke at a time like this!?' Yume screamed at Arthain as she got to her feet. There was anger and rage in her eyes, "You brought those tanks here didn't you!?"

"Right, because my sole purpose in coming here was to get Naruto killed." Arthain spat out sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "We were hiding in the trees at the edge of the park and when we saw them coming we decided to warn you." Arthain said, his sarcasm replaced by annoyance and anger as he glared right back at Yume, "Just because you all stupidly decided to stop in the middle of this clearing to stare at a light show in the sky doesn't make it MY fault he's lying there on the ground wishing he'd worn an anti-tank vest!"

"An added explanation: We have been clearing the path as best we can. We can't fight an entire tank column; the foreign military has been tracking you for some time. They knew you would come through here so decided to cut you off." Sasha expanded on Arthain's explanation as she came up to stand beside him.

Initially they had been under the impression that the military had just been trying to take control over the city. Arthain and Sasha had tried their best to clear a route by either distracting them, stalling them or if all else failed killing them but there were simply too many for them to deal with if they wished to remain incognito. It wasn't until it was too late to warn Naruto and his group had they realized what the military's actual target was, that was when everything clicked. The army had been tailing Naruto's movements, placing troops in strategic areas to corral them to an open area where they were the most vulnerable.

"Why didn't you tell us anything earlier!?" Yume shouted at them. If they had known about this beforehand they could have prepared themselves, Naruto wouldn't have been hurt.

Arthain opened his mouth to respond when the ground shook and the air roared as more tank rounds exploded around them. "Geezes Christ!" Arthain said as threw his arms up over his head. He whirled around and glared at the tanks, "CAN YOU GIVE US A FUCKING MINUTE OVER HERE!? WE'RE TRYING TO HAVING A MOMENT YOU KNOW!"

"My first response: I don't think they can hear you, or would even care if they could." Sasha pointed out. Sometimes her husband was just plain weird. She turned back to Yume and addressed her earlier question, "My second response: We didn't figure out the reasoning behind their troop movement until after you entered the park. There simply wasn't any time left to warn you."

Arthain brushed past Yume and quickly went to Naruto's side. He brought out a first aid kit. "Naruto will survive this, hell he's survived worse already, but if he gets hit by a second one when he's unconscious like this you can kiss him goodbye." He said as he began to pull out disinfectant and bandages. There wasn't a whole lot he could do in this type of setting but the least he could do was prevent an infection, which would make it easier for Naruto's bloodline and Kurama to heal the injury.

I mean this can't be worse than having a fist shoved through your right lung by your best friend, right?

If Naruto was conscious he could summon Kurama's chakra and almost instantaneously heal the damage but until then he'd have to hold on with his passive regeneration.

The three Sekirei glanced at each other before they turned as one towards the approaching tanks. They were all in agreement. There would be no mercy for them. Normally Yume was against killing, but this was different. This was a direct attack on her Ashikabi. No quarter could be given.

"The only way they'll touch him is over my dead body!" Yume growled as she positioned herself between Naruto and the tanks. Naruto had always been there for her, for Musubi, and for others. He never asked for compensation, he never asked for favors. He jumped into the fire to help others without a moments worry about his own safety. But when he needed help she had failed to be there for him.

It was a Sekirei's duty to protect their Ashikabi. She had failed.

No mercy.

Tears streamed from her face as she lifted her hand and pointed it at the oncoming column, "Ether Blast!" Yume roared as she fired a destructive beam of energy from the palm of her hand. The energy beam tore through the first tank and destroyed the front of tank behind it.

Akitsu was literally vibrating with anger as she glared at the oncoming forces. They dared to harm Naruto-sama? They dared try to take away her Ashikabi? They dared to try and prevent her from finally becoming winged?

They would pay.

The air above the tanks stopped raining as the water droplets froze and began to coalesce into large clumps. Massive chunks of ice a dozen meters in diameter began to form above the oncoming vehicles. Akitsu glared at a tank as it turned its barrel towards her. "Comet!" Akitsu growled and with a wave of her hand a massive chunk of ice tore through the air and crushed a tank beneath its immense weight and force.

"DIE YOU FRICKEN BASTARDS!" Blanc screamed as she shot across the field. Utilizing her anti-gravity boots as a form of propulsion she closed the distance in seconds, a sonic boom erupted from her as she shattered the sound barrier.

They were going to pay. She had finally found someone that cared about her; someone that wanted her, she had finally found someone that liked her breasts. She had finally found her true Ashikabi. And these bastards tried to take him from her!

She would crush them all.

As she reached the first line of tanks Blanc jumped into the air. At the height of her jump she began to spin as she added centrifugal force to the power of her attack. "**GETTER RAVINE!**" Blanc roared as she slammed her axe into the top of a tank.

The tank split in half and exploded as the ammunition within detonated. The ground beneath the tank cratered beneath the force of the blow as massive chunks of earth were ripped up from the ground and hurled away from the impact zone. A nearby tank was smashed as massive chunks of earth and rock slammed into it at sub-sonic speeds.

"They're really tearing shit up." Arthain noted as he quickly bandaged his former boss. There were already signs that Naruto was going to recover provided his Sekirei could keep him safe. The wound had already lost its jagged and scarred edge and new flesh was quickly beginning to form.

"My second response: They really care for Naruto." Sasha said as stood beside her husband. She had a hand stretched out above her as she projected a psychic barrier around the three. It wouldn't stop a concentrated assault but it should be enough with the enemy forces focused on the Sekirei.

There was an explosion as Yume annihilated another tank. "I just hope they don't think this is everything. There were troops and APC's coming up behind those tanks. Naruto better wake up soon otherwise things are going to get real bad, real fast." Damn he wished he hadn't been right. This went WAY beyond a shit storm. "I seriously hope our operation didn't just kick off World War 3."

**x~X~x**

There was a mind numbing amount killing intent suffocating Izumo Inn. Miya stared at the television with a look so intense and murderous that it drowned everyone around her in sheer terror. Her sword was gripped so tightly in her hand that her knuckles had turned white and it looked as if she was on the verge of tearing through Shinto Teito like an avenging goddess.

She had seen it; the whole city had seen it. A nearby news crew had caught the action on camera. Miya had felt her heart stop when the tank round had hit Naruto-san. The fear that gripped her was so intense she didn't know how to handle it at first. Flashback to a time not long ago when Takehito had been killed ripped through her mind. She felt enraged yet terrified and powerless all at the same time.

She wanted nothing more than to simply charge into battle to protect a certain blonde haired shinobi.

Her rage had a noticeable effect on those living at Izumo Inn. Kaho, Tsukiumi and Minato were all clumped up in the far corner, hugging each other. Terror had overwhelmed any sort of flight response.

Matsu was unconscious in a nearby wall and Homura had been cratered into the floor. Both of them had tried to stop her from leaving. Right now she couldn't feel sorry for their injured states.

But their efforts had brought her a semblance of sanity. She was too far away to be of any use to Naruto-san right now. His Sekirei were still fighting so he was still alive. He possessed incredible regeneration capabilities; he may be able to heal through this. She didn't know how badly he was hurt; maybe he had just been clipped.

Even if she had gone there was nothing she could do for him, personally. It would only put him and the other Sekirei in more danger since it would signal her entrance into the Sekirei Plan. She couldn't do anything right now but the moment the time was right she was going to personally end Minaka's life.

Minaka had used Naruto for his bid for power and it had gotten him hurt. That was something Miya could never forgive. "If your stupid power play got Naruto-san killed Minaka… I will **DESTROY** you and wipe MBI off the face of existence!" She quivered in rage. She had stood by and done nothing when Takehito-san had been killed; they claimed it was an accident. Consequences be damned, she would not stand idle if Naruto-san died as well.

But her inability to help Naruto infuriated her beyond her ability to express as she watched the scenes unfold on the television.

**x~X~x**

"Ugh… what the hell hit me?" Naruto groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.

"A tank round, armor piercing by the looks of it. Good thing too because if it was H.E. or H.E.A.T. it would have vaporized you on the spot." Arthain said. "You got ambushed by about a dozen M1A2 Abrams, nasty things, I want one." No more problems with traffic. Someone got in your way you could just drive over them or through the nearby building and make your own road. If someone honked their horn at you, you could point a 120mm cannon at them.

It also just screamed awesome.

Naruto tilted his head and looked over at Arthain. His clone was sitting beside him, heedless to the muddy ground. Beside him was an open first aid kit with most of its contents either missing or spread out across the ground.

Tilting his head a little more he could see Sasha standing nearby with her hand raised above her head. There was some sort of barrier surrounding them that kept even the rain out. He stared at that curiously for a moment. He wasn't aware he had any ability that could generate that sort of result without the use of a sealing array.

Arthain noted where his gaze lingered. "Long story short, we're Sekirei now, I can explain it to you when we get out of this royal cluster fuck."

That brought Naruto's attention back to his surroundings. He quickly sat up and had to hold in a wince as a sharp flare of pain shot through his side. He looked down and saw blood stained bandages wrapped around his chest. "That hurts."

"Ya, I would be surprised if it didn't. You're still missing several large chunks of your body." Arthain commented idly. Naruto looked at him sharply, "While the tank shell exploded when it hit you most of it just kept going straight through you. You were missing, oh, I'd say about 25% of your torso after it was finished. Your passive regeneration has done wonders to heal you though. Your rib cage is back as is some of the muscle tissue so I was actually able to bandage you properly but all those bandages are really doing is helping to keep the rest of your organs inside, you know, the ones that weren't violently ripped out by an armor-piercing round."

Naruto gave Arthain a rather dry humorless look, "How long have I been out?" He asked.

"About fifteen minutes. Your Sekirei have done a wonderful job of protecting you, of course they're probably going to get over whelmed by sheer numbers soon."

Naruto looked out past the barrier Sasha had erected around him and had to agree with Arthain's assessment. There was a wall of ice between them and the oncoming forces from behind which Akitsu and Blanc hid. Akitsu was sending out waves of ice at the oncoming attackers but it was definitely far fewer, and far slower, than he knew she was capable of. Blanc was hurt, albeit not very badly. There were some bandages wrapped around her right arm and from the blood stain on them it was obvious that she had been shot. She probably wasn't capable of swinging her axe around anymore.

Yume was out amongst the troops weaving and dodging between them as she took them out one by one. They couldn't touch her but Naruto could see that she was slowing down. All it would take was a single hit and she'd be in serious trouble.

Still his Sekirei had put up one hell of a fight. There were a dozen destroyed tanks, some still burning, scattered across the park. Almost two dozen different armored vehicles were crushed, smashed, destroyed or turned into swiss-cheese. Hundreds of soldiers were down. There were even the remains of two gunships.

But there were still hundreds more to deal with and not all of the armored vehicles were taken out. There were still about a dozen left with an assortment of mounted weaponry.

Arthian was right; his Sekirei wouldn't last long enough to finish this battle. They'd had a long day; his Sekirei hadn't started this battle at full strength. If they had been fresh this battle would have already been over.

If Hanabi had been here this would have already been over. Naruto shook his head vigorously. No, he couldn't think like that. If Hanabi was here Kusano would have been placed in harm's way and he couldn't allow that. That was one decision he was glad he made.

Naruto struggled to his feet. "I need to help them." He growled as he straightened. God it hurt but he would endure. He'd rather feel this pain than the pain of losing anyone else he cared for.

_Kurama I need help with this injury._

_I'm already doing what I can. You don't seem to realize how badly you've been hurt. You may be missing your side but the impact did far more than simply tear out a portion of your torso. All your organs are bruised and you have hair-line fractures and chips in most of your bones._ Kurama fired back, _Unless you want to deal with bone fragments racing through your blood stream tearing you apart from the inside out I need to split my attention._

Well that was that. No wonder his side wasn't healed yet. Kurama was more concerned with keeping him alive than getting him into fighting shape.

"No, we need to get out of-." There was an explosion as half of the armored vehicles exploded all of a sudden. A few moments later the rest followed suit as something tore through them and systematically decimated the rest of the armored force. "-here?" Arthain just gazed at the ruined vehicles in confusion, his head tilted to the side as he rapidly blinked his eyes.

Now that there was only the troops left they could actually win this.

The sound of air being beat into submission caught their attention as a half dozen MBI helicopters came into sight above them. Each airborne vehicle was filled to maximum capacity with soldiers.

A massive gun fight broke soon out between the forces in the helicopter and those on the ground as the MBI troop transports started to land around Naruto and his Sekirei. The armed forces rushed out of the helicopter and began to fire upon the foreign troops.

He needed to get his Sekirei out of the crossfire. Perhaps Arthain had a point; this would be a very good time to get the hell out of here. "Yume!" Naruto shouted over the din of the battle as he tried to get her attention.

Yume's head whipped around to stare at him. Her eyes widened and a large smile creased her face, "Naruto-kun!" Yume cried out happily. She quickly knocked out her current target and rushed over to her Ashikabi's side. Blanc and Akitsu quickly followed, their concern for Naruto was palpable.

Sasha let the barrier drop as they reached them.

"Are you alright?" Yume asked in concern as she gently touched Naruto's face, just to make sure that he really was there.

"Yes, I'll be fine." Naruto said with a smile as he gently squeezed Yume's hands.

"He's still missing a few pieces." Arthain said as he stood up. "There's one over there, just for the record." He added as he pointed to a piece of bone with some flesh attached to it a few meters away.

Naruto gave him an odd look and Naruto's Sekirei glared. Sasha just groaned and palmed her face.

"What? He could keep it as a souvenir or something…" Arthain trailed off as the looks he was receiving became disgusted, "That was something I should have kept to an internal monologue wasn't it?"

Sasha kicked his legs out from under him. With a yelp Arthain did a face plant into the muddy grass. "My first response: Yes, that was a very inappropriate comment." Sasha said as she glared down at her husband.

Arthain raised a hand and pointed to the sky, "Yup, I deserved that one." He said and let his hand flop back to the ground, "I'll write that down in my book of 'What NOT to Say'." He really did have that book; he reviewed it every night just to make sure he never made the same mistake twice. Unfortunately Arthain had the feeling it probably wasn't helping very much since he just kept on making new mistakes. "On the bright side I now know what mud tastes like." Sarcasm probably wasn't the best thing to fall back on right now but he couldn't help himself.

"Ignoring my wayward clone." Naruto said as he regained his Sekirei's attention, "I'll be fine, I'll probably need a few days to return to top condition but I will live."

"Tough bastard." Blanc said, despite her words there was no anger as she beamed a smile at her Ashikabi. "I don't know anyone that can take a tank round to the chest and live."

Arthain piped up "Well there is-." He yelped in pain as Sasha stomped him.

Naruto just shook his head and turned back to his Sekirei, "Anyways I'm glad MBI arrived when they did." He said as he eyed the battle between the two forces.

The foreign soldiers began to retreat as the MBI forces started to push them back. While the foreign soldiers still held the advantage of numbers MBI was far better equipped due to the over-technology from the Sekirei ship. Their weapons tore through the anti-ballistic vests that the foreign soldiers wore while their weapons had little to no effect unless they managed to get a bullet through one of the gaps in the armor.

"We could have taken those bastards out ourselves!" Blanc declared hotly. She was still upset over being shot by a couple of foot soldiers.

"There are still other forces in the city I can throw you at if that's what you want." A new female voice said.

That got everyone's attention as they all turned to regard the newcomer. Striding across the field with a thunderous scowl on her face was none of the Sahashi Takami. She had a very haggard appearance due to the efforts and stress she had gone through with ensuring the safe pickup of the fallen Sekirei. She was dirty, soaked through to the bone, and incredibly upset.

Beside her was none other than Karasuba. She had a very satisfied smile on her face. From the blood that was still dripping from the edge of her blade she had just seen combat. She was more than likely responsible for the spontaneous destruction of the armored vehicles. She too was soaked through but she didn't look nearly as stressed out as Takami.

"Damn those clothes are like see-through." Arthain said as he eyed Takami. Sasha growled and jumped on Arthain's back. He coughed and gasped as the air was knocked from him, "A-Alright, s-shutting up now."

"Thanks for the timely arrival." Naruto said as Takami stopped a few feet away.

"I didn't specifically come here to save you. I just can't allow those jar-heads to get their filthy hands on any of the Sekirei." Takami growled as she glared at Naruto. She jabbed a finger at him, "Do you have ANY idea what the hell your little escapade down here has caused?"

"It's been a glorious bloodbath." Karasuba said with a lustful sigh, "So many humans to kill. I've actually lost count how many I've cut down. They're all so weak and worthless, but at least they're worth a little entertainment." Yume sighed at Karasuba; she hadn't changed at all since she had been her commander.

"No, I don't, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me." Naruto said with a sigh. Aside from his attack on Mikogami Hayato the only conflict that should have occurred was between two rival Yakuza factions. Naruto was pretty sure something had happened to escalate things further because he was certain the Yakuza didn't have entire tank companies.

"You're damn right I am! And then you're coming in for questioning. I've had enough of letting you run around unchecked." Takami yelled.

"Please resist." Karasuba said with a grin as gingerly wiped the blood from her blade.

Takami glared at Karasuba for a moment. "Because of you everything down here has gone to hell. There isn't an active Sekirei in this section of the city aside from your own!"

"Wait what?" Naruto said in surprise. While Mikogami Hayato had the bulk of the Sekirei there were still plenty of Ashikabi and Sekirei down here that were neither associated with him nor caught up in the conflict between the Yakuza. "I only attack Mikogami Hayato and that's not against the Sekirei Plan rules. There are battles every day and you never bat an eyelash at them!"

"It's not WHAT you did that's the issue; it's HOW you did it." Takami said with a sigh. She was incredibly upset at Naruto but the blame didn't rest 'entirely' with him. Minaka was completely insane, she was certain of it now. "Sekirei battles are supposed to be one-on-one with the victor standing guard over the Sekirei until we come to pick the fallen up. Quick, clean, and done within an hour. In that setup there's virtually no way for foreign elements to interfere."

Naruto frowned; he hadn't even considered the implications of his actions beyond the scope of Shinto Teito. "Is that what happened here?"

Takami nodded, "Yes, I don't know if you had anything to do with the war between the underworld crime lords but there was almost a dozen Sekirei employed by them in total. They're all terminated now. When you combined that with the number you and your own terminated, and then just left behind, we're talking almost thirty terminated Sekirei. We didn't have the man power to quickly retrieve them before the foreign elements attacked."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, that didn't make any sense, "This is Shinto Teito, we're dead smack in the middle of Japan… how could a foreign military attack without causing serious international fallout?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

Takami knuckled her back as she stretched it. Gods she was tired, "MBI has made some… enemies. It has used its money to push people around it really shouldn't have. The Japanese government sided with the foreign military to try and oust MBI. MBI was labeled as a domestic terrorist due to its takeover and subjugation of Shinto Teito. The technology they recovered from MBI would be shared between the two nations."

"This… is going to cause some problems if MBI is considered a terrorist organization." Naruto pointed out. If MBI was considered a terrorist all their assets could be frozen and seized, the international community would band together to get rid of them. The Sekirei and everything related would be seized as well.

It would be a nightmare.

"I said was." Takami said, "I'll try to shorten it since I'm tired and I want to get this over with. Minaka sold you out. He knew you were planning this and 'fed' the information to the Japanese government through a spy in our ranks." Naruto's eyes widened. How was that possible? He had taken every possible precaution to make sure that no one knew about this. "While the Japanese defense force and the foreign military were tied up in a war down here with MBI and the Sekirei, he led an assault on the emperor's palace and parliament. Thanks to you, it's now 'Emperor Minaka'."

"How? If all of MBI's forces were down here, what did he attack the palace with?" Naruto asked in concern. This was beyond insane. Like he had used the Yakuza as a smokescreen to hide his activities from the authorities Minaka had used HIM as a smokescreen to take over Japan. He had been completely outplayed and he had no idea how or even why Minaka did it.

Takami's scowl returned, "I don't know how nor where he got them but he attacked with twelve Sekirei MBI has no record of. They certainly didn't come from the ship that landed on Kamikura Island. These Sekirei aren't like the ones here in the city. They're all battle-hardened, experienced, and worst of all, ruthless." Those Sekirei scared her. While she was unsure as to whether or not they were on Karasuba's level of skill, they were at least as bloodthirsty. That much was certain from the bloodbath left behind in the parliament buildings.

"And the people are just going to go along and accept this because they're all a bunch of sheeple that don't give two shits as to who's in charge just so long as their perfect little world isn't disturbed." Arthain piped up as he guessed at what the public's reaction would be to all this.

"Worse, they'll see Minaka as a hero. He's already portrayed the government as traitors that sold the country out to a foreign nation. He has already circulated footage through the news networks depicting the 'heroic acts' of MBI troops as they rushed to the rescue of the regular folk."

"What about the other Sekirei?" Yume asked in concern, "The ones that weren't Mikogami's or with the Yakuza?"

"Most got caught up in the conflict in one way or another. Some tried to protect the people; others were simply trying to flee. All told as of right now, a good third of all Sekirei were taken out today. Maybe one, possibly two, Sekirei and their Ashikabi got out of the south before all hell broke loose."

"Poor Kazehana." Karasuba said with a grin, "Perhaps she should have found herself an Ashikabi before she accepted Minaka's request for assistance. She always did have a soft spot for the director. Oh, I'm sorry, it's 'Emperor' now isn't it?"

"Kazehana?" That was the Sekirei that was supposedly related to Gaara and Temari.

"Kazehana was one of the strongest Sekirei, on the same level as Mutsu. She's the reason you're still breathing. Most of the foreign air force was taken out by her. It didn't help her however when they blew up the building she was on and gunned her down as she tried to jump to safety. She probably would have been fine anyways if it hadn't been for the sniper with the anti-material rifle." Takami explained as she glared at Karasuba. That wasn't supposed to be common knowledge. They had managed to retrieve her but it would take her months to recover from those injuries, if she didn't end up deactivating while in their care due to the injuries she had sustained.

Naruto stared at the ground as guilt washed over him. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Why was it that nothing ever went 'right' for him? There was always something that went catastrophically wrong.

He had rescued Kusano, yes, he had freed a couple other Sekirei, true, but he had just delivered all of Japan into the hands of a mad-man and caused the deaths of countless others, many who were completely innocent and had nothing to do with the Sekirei Plan.

He clenched his fists as anger, guilt and remorse washed over him. How many lives were worth sacrificing for his ideals? Has he not sacrificed enough already?

"Look, I blame you for starting this entire mess but don't shoulder the entire thing yourself." Takami said as she noticed Naruto's expression. He really hadn't anticipated nor wanted this to occur. "If Minaka hadn't sold you out it was more than likely that aside from Mikogami's Sekirei the only causalities would have been the Yakuza and a few of the Sekirei they employed. The response from the foreign militaries would have been slower and more subdued and we'd have been able to handle it far better."

"Yes, this wasn't your fault at all!" Blanc said as she tried to cheer her Ashikabi up, "If it weren't for that bastard Minaka everything would have been fine!"

"Regardless I'm going to have to bring you in now." Takami said as she turned to Karasuba, "You're too dangerous to let you run around loose. Plus we need to make sure your Sekirei are alright." She said as she eyed Akitsu, Yume and Blanc. She needed to get all three of them back for analysis. That was the real reason for taking Naruto in. There were plenty of dangerous Ashikabi but none of them had such strange things happen around them.

Akitsu should be locked up. She was a scrapped number and shouldn't be running around free.

Blanc had somehow managed to unwing herself. That was completely unheard of and she needed to know just how Blanc had managed to do that and if there were any unforeseen consequences as a result.

However it was Yume that Takami wanted to get her hands on the most. For all intents and purposes she shouldn't even exist. Takami would pay a great deal to figure out what happened there.

Naruto frowned and broke out of his guilt, "I'm sorry but that's not happening. I have places to be and that's not in MBI's hands." He said firmly. As sorry as he was for the trouble he had caused Takami he wasn't about to hand his Sekirei over to them.

"You're not in any condition to resist." Takami said as she eyed the blood-stained bandage wrapped around his chest, it was already starting to fall apart and unwrap as the blood reduced the bandages ability to stay together. He was tired and hurt, his Sekirei were exhausted. The only unknowns were the two people just behind him and she doubted regular humans could cause her any problems. "Don't make me resort to force. It's been a long day and I'd rather this was peaceful. I guarantee that no harm will come to you or your own." Of course that was 'all' she could guarantee.

All around them a hundred MBI soldiers pointed their guns at them. Karasuba's grin widened as she brought her sword up. She eyed Yume in excitement. She was obviously hoping to settle her score with Yume.

"And you don't have any way to stop me." Naruto said as a clone popped into existence beside Sasha and Arthain.

"**Hiraishin no Jutsu!**" The two cried out at the same time and they all disappeared in a flash of golden light.

Takami cursed and bolted to her helicopter, "Find them!"

**x~X~x**

A bright yellow light filled the underground complex as Naruto and company arrived. Naruto's clone dispersed as they arrived.

The moment the light disappeared Naruto's head spun like a top as he stumbled forward. He coughed up a glob of blood as he momentarily recovered his balance. "Shit I don't think I was ready for that." He gasped out as he looked down at his side. Pain began to flare anew and he started to fall over.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Hanabi cried out in shock as she rushed to his side. She caught him in her arms before he could hit the floor, "What happened?" Hanabi demanded Yume and the others.

Yume looked to the side guilty, "I failed to protect him."

"Oh get off the guilt trip. It's no more your fault that he got hurt than it was my fault it started to rain." Arthain said in exasperation as he sat up off the floor and pulled himself over to the wall so that his back was against it. "There was absolutely no way you could have known there were a dozen tanks barreling down on you."

"What tanks?" Hanabi demanded.

"It's fine Hanabi-chan." Naruto said as he rested in her arms. He really didn't feel like moving right now. "It's a long story but suffice to say I was right about that bad feeling I had." Naruto looked around the room, "How's Kusano?"

"She's asleep in the back room; Ayesha is taking care of her." Hanabi replied as she gingerly touched the bandages. "And no it's not fine. You're badly hurt! There's a hole in you if you hadn't noticed."

"How do you treat having your side blown off anyways? People don't normally live through that." Blanc said as she wrung her hands in consternation. She had read a lot of books, many medical ones too, but nothing she had ever read had ever mentioned treating something like this. It was simply assumed the person would bleed out and die in moments.

"I just need sleep." Naruto said with closed eyes, "Between my bloodline and Kurama I'll survive."

"Yume! Get one of the beds ready. Akitsu help me carry Naruto and Blanc can you go through the white kit in the kitchen? It's over there." Hanabi said as she pointed through one of the doorways, "There should be two smaller containers inside the white kit with small round black pills. Get me one of each."

"Sorry about this Hanabi." Naruto murmured sleepily. Now that he was in the safety of his bunker all the adrenaline and endorphins that had kept him going were draining from his system. The pain came back in full force and he wanted nothing more than to just drift away to sleep.

Ayesha came out from the back rooms and quickly ran to the kitchen to help Blanc find what she needed.

A psychic barrier formed around Arthain and Sasha. "Don't worry my love, just concentrate on healing. You're safe now." Hanabi whispered to Naruto. She planted a quick kiss on his forehead and proceeded to gently lift him with Akitsu's help.

Arthain looked over at Sasha and sighed, "Looks like we might as well make ourselves comfortable until Naruto wakes up."

"My first response: I agree." She said as she sat down in his lap. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, "I'm going to sleep, wake me when Naruto is up."

"Hey wait…" Arthain protested but Sasha was already fast asleep, "But what about my nap time?" Arthain muttered with a pout. He sighed and let a small smile crease his face. He gently wrapped his arms around her chest and pulled her tight against him, "Ah well, I guess this is relaxing in its own way." He said as he adjusted himself to make Sasha more comfortable.

**x~X~x**

Arthain awoke with a start. He blinked his eyes and looked around the underground complex in sleepy confusion. He was on the floor with his back against the wall and in his arms Sasha still dozed peacefully. He must have fallen asleep at some point in the evening.

He looked around for what it was that could have awoken him. The room was pretty empty. Most of the clones from the day before had dispelled. Sakura and Ino had dispelled themselves soon after Naruto had fallen asleep and the clones that had gathered the library had dispelled themselves the moment they had deposited the scrolls on the central table.

Judging from the memories he now had the ANBU clones had all dispersed themselves. Arthain frowned; there was something odd about one of their memories. He passed it off as nothing and continued to focus on his surroundings. He could hear someone softly humming a tune in the kitchen, and judging from voice it was probably Ayesha preparing food.

That either meant it was breakfast or Naruto was awake, possibly both. It was hard to tell what time it was down here but considering he had fallen asleep after a couple hours, and how stiff his muscles were, it was probably morning.

Still he couldn't identify what it was that had awoken him, it almost sounded like someone throwing up. He shrugged and gave up trying to figure out what it was. He was certain that if it was something serious he would have figured it out by now.

A few minutes later movement at the far side of the complex caught his attention. Five people slowly made their way into the main room: Naruto, Hanabi, Akitsu, Yume and Blanc who trailed just a little behind the four. That must have been what had awoken him.

Hanabi was fussing over Naruto as she tried to convince him to lie back down. Akitsu and Yume looked as if they agreed with Hanabi and Arthain wouldn't be surprised if the three of them simply picked Naruto up and carried him back to bed.

Still, despite their worries Naruto looked far better than the night before. He had clean bandages around his chest now and they hadn't immediately soaked through with blood. That had to be a good sign. He also looked far healthier and more stable as well.

Arthain doubted Naruto was up to wrestling a bear any time soon but he was definitely on the mend.

"Good morning Naruto!" Arthain called out to his former commander. He raised a hand and waved it comically.

Sasha sleepily opened her eyes and yawned. Arthain had deliberately been louder than required to wake up his sleeping wife as she requested. The small blonde woman stretched her arms and made cute little noises as she worked the kinks out of her back and arms.

Naruto frowned at the two for a moment. He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, "Good morning although I'm surprised you're still here."

Arthain made a small noise and shrugged, "Even though the mission is over we still need to debrief you on what we've done. We don't intend to stay very long. Just explain a few things and then leave Shinto Teito." Naruto had the right to know what they had done; any fallout because of their actions would fall upon him due to their origins.

"You won't last forever you know. The chakra in your bodies will run out eventually." Naruto said as he sat down on the edge of the table facing Arthain and Sasha.

"My first response: We have taken care of that, we will not run out of chakra. My first question: Can you take a look at us Hanabi?" Sasha asked.

"Sure but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to see." Hanabi said as she focused her chakra into her eyes. The Byakugan couldn't tell the difference between the original and a Shadow Clone. "Byakugan!" Hanabi shouted and then immediately gasped in surprise.

"What is it Hanabi?" Naruto asked.

"They have Sekirei cores inside them! Both of them!"

Arthain grinned at her; he loved seeing that shocked look on people's faces. "See! Told you we were Sekirei now, we targeted two of Mikogami Hayato's Sekirei during the assault. We figured since they were going to be taken out anyways, might as well put them to use beyond simply an extra body count." Arthain replied, "We didn't know who was tasked of taking out who but we knew what his Sekirei looked like from our vigilance over his mansion. It was close, almost didn't get the second one. Your girls are damn efficient."

Akitsu smiled at this and stood a little straighter. Yume however had a frown on her face, "So… you did to two more Sekirei what Naruto-kun did to Yashima?" Yume asked, disapproval was obvious in her voice. Naruto's case was forgivable. He did it in the heat of the moment to protect Hanabi-san and heal her.

These two did it simply because they didn't want to dispel. The motives were entirely different and Yume wasn't sure if she could accept it.

"Essentially yes, unlike Yashima we took precautions to prevent their suffering. They both slept through the entire thing. They didn't feel a thing."

"That doesn't make it right!" Yume shouted at the two.

"Iris was one of them wasn't she?" Hanabi asked. Sasha's nod was all the confirmation she needed, "That one was my target. Her fate probably wouldn't have been any different even if you hadn't taken her core. At least in her case you were correct, she would have simply been one more added to the body count however…" Hanabi trailed off as she glanced over at Yume.

"Oh, well…" Arthain coughed uncomfortably. He got the hint. His core had come from one of Yume's target. That one probably would have been simply terminated, not outright killed like what stealing the core had done. "Sorry?" Arthain said lamely. He really wasn't but what could he say? He was a little guilty but it was too late to go back and change things, killing him would only put to waste what the Sekirei had gone through. It would also be poor repayment for his aid in saving Naruto the night before.

As off-colored and inappropriate as his comments were they were hardly worth condemning someone to death for. At least he hoped so anyways.

"Which Sekirei was it?" Blanc asked curiously. She knew of Iris and was glad that bitch was gone. Aside from having jumbo size tits that she loved to flaunt and shove into her face she was a damn sadist through and through. She enjoyed torturing and breaking people. Blanc felt the world was a much better place with that bitch gone.

Although she was worried that Sasha may have the same kind of tendencies as she eyed the rather 'unique' clothing that she was wearing. Sasha felt the gaze and tried her best to cover herself.

"It was Yuri." Yume snapped as she glared at Arthain. If looks could kill Arthain would be a pile of ash on the floor right now.

Blanc's eyes went flat, "Oh, the child molester."

The room went dead silent.

"Anyone wanna switch?" Arthain asked as his eyes darted back and forth between Naruto's Sekirei. "Anyone?"

For some reason he was feeling decidedly uncomfortable with the Sekirei Core he currently had inside him. Not surprisingly though no one seemed to want to take him up on that offer.

It only took a few moments however for Yume to tear into him again, "You let him die without suffering first?" Yume shouted at Arthain in anger.

Sweat drops began to roll down the backs of everyone's head at Yume's sudden change of tune.

"I just can't win can I?" Arthain sobbed as he buried his face into Sasha's hair. Sasha gently patted the side of his face comfortingly.

Hanabi shook her head at the scene unfolding before her and went back to analyzing the two. "What is all that other stuff inside you?" Hanabi asked curiously. After she had gotten over the shock of seeing a Sekirei core within them she noticed that there were a lot of other odd things about the clones.

Sasha answered this one for Arthain since the former was still crying into her hair. "My second response: The chakra from a core would solve our chakra issues but it would not solve our inability to take a strong blow. The seals you see within us solve that problem."

Arthain lifted his head from his wife's hair and expanded on what she said. "Basically we'll still go up in a puff of smoke if, say, someone cuts us in half, not that even former boss man could survive that, but we can take a hit. We can be cut, stabbed, beaten, bones broken, poisoned or whatever and still maintain our form. Anything fatal however, is still fatal."

Naruto hummed to himself, "That's actually pretty ingenious. I'll overlook this entire move for independence if you put down in detail what type of seal you used to maintain your form." What his 'former' clones had just discovered could completely revolutionize his shadow clone technique. To be able to create solid clones that could take a hit and keep on going was beyond useful. That was the single real flaw behind the technique for him. He could put a lot of chakra into his clones but all that meant nothing if a single strong blow was enough to dispel it.

Plus even if they were going rogue and independent, it's not like they had any ill will towards him or his own. Their desire to stay behind and help, despite how disastrous the entire situation had turned out, was evidence enough of that. Despite being their own person they were still part him and knew well enough to keep their mouths shut about things they shouldn't speak about.

If they could make it out of Shinto Teito without being seen they could disappear into the Japanese country side and no one would ever find them.

And his acceptance of their independence had nothing to do what-so-ever with the fact that he did NOT what to have memories of fucking himself.

"Will do former boss man!" Arthain said with a grin. If that's all it took to have Naruto's blessing then he'd gladly do it.

As Naruto watched Arthain extricate himself from behind Sasha his curiosity got the better of him. "How did you end up this way?" Naruto asked softly.

Arthain stopped halfway off the ground and looked up at Naruto, "I'm not exactly sure I understand the question." He said as he straightened.

"The others all dispelled themselves just fine. You two however refused to. More than that you went above and beyond to ensure that you'd persist for a long time to come." Naruto explained himself more thoroughly. Sure, sometimes his clones acted funny when he created them but Arthain and Sasha took this to a level that was actually a little frightening.

Arthain looked at Naruto sadly and sighed softly, "It's partly your fault you know." He started as he made his way over to the table. "You created us in your hyper-focused state, or 'Hokage Mode' as it's sometimes put. That was both a bad idea and a good idea." Arthain frowned as he looked for some parchment to write out the seal he and Sasha had used.

"Over there." Naruto said as he pointed to a stack of papers on the edge of the table, "Use the back, I don't need them anymore." They were the old documents and information about Mikogami Hayato, "What do you mean by that?"

Arthain slowly made his way over to the stack of papers, "Exactly that. When you create a Shadow Clone it creates a duplicate of the original. Everything is exactly copied over." Arthain paused and looked Naruto straight in the eyes, "Even the hyper-focus state, albeit in a different form."

Hanabi picked up on it almost immediately, "So then you're saying you became hyper focused on your role? Which includes-."

"The marriage, yes. We didn't just become a pair of clones acting for the benefit of our neighbours. We BECAME a married couple." Arthain continued. Now Hanabi understood just why it was both good and bad. "Sakura and Ino weren't just 'clones' of those two. They BECAME Sakura and Ino for a short time, at least the Sakura and Ino that you have envisioned in your mind. Did you not notice how… different the Yakuza clones became?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes, I noticed that." Now that he thought back they really acted the part. Perhaps a little too well. Some of the things they did went far beyond what he would have ever done normally.

"The longer we're in our role the more integrated and focused on it we become until the 'clone' disappears and the new persona takes over. Ino, Sakura, the ANBU, they all are, or were, shinobi so they there was no trouble with them dispelling themselves after the fact. That's a natural aspect of being a Shinobi. The Yakuza didn't stay in their forms long enough to fully 'lose' their identities and were created to imitate something that already exists. We however…" Arthain said as he pointed at himself and Sasha, "We were not emulated after Shinobi, or anyone for that matter, and we were kept on up until the end. By the time the operation started we weren't just 'Clones of Uzumaki Naruto posing as Arthain and Sasha Namikaze'. We WERE Arthain and Sasha Namikaze."

"And this is because of the 'hyper-focus' state I was in when I created you?" Naruto wanted to confirm.

"Yes, which is why you should be careful. Say you were to create a clone to mimic Sasuke while in that role. They'd BECOME another Sasuke, albeit without the Sharingan."

"And hence why you said it was both a good and a bad thing." Hanabi repeated what he said earlier. She had a feeling that would be the case. Becoming 'that' immersed in a role has its advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage was a very believable undercover clone. No matter how good at acting her Naruto was there would still be flaws and little hints that observant people could pick up because Naruto would still be Naruto. But if the clone threw 'away' Naruto and became fully the person they were undercover as, that would be a different story. Those flaws would disappear.

They'd not only become completely dedicated to completing the mission but would become 'one' with the role itself.

The disadvantage was that if Naruto created the wrong persona and it started to vie for independence there could be serious consequences. If Naruto created a clone to mimic any of the megalomaniacs of their old world and they started to merge with their persona? There would be serious issues.

In an odd sort of way Naruto was actually creating a new life in that situation, albeit a short-lived one that was entirely dependent upon him to continue surviving but a new life never-the-less.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind whenever I create my clones." Naruto said as he rubbed his temples.

"Only deep undercover ones." Arthain explained, "I didn't really feel more 'Arthain' than 'Clone' until about day 4 or 5 of the operation. Anything shorter than that and you don't have to worry about it."

"So essentially if I need to refuel their chakra at any point…" Naruto stated.

"Then they're probably going to merge with their role." Arthain finished, "Assuming you even created them in the hyper-focused state in the first place."

"So all I need to do is never refill my clone's chakra and I don't have to worry about renegades amongst my ranks." Naruto said with a chuckle. "Ugh, what a day this has been."

Arthain felt it was probably best to keep that one final tidbit a secret from Naruto. Actually it was probably best he kept it from everyone. Sasha would figure it out eventually though.

Clones don't age. They'd last until their Sekirei Core gave out, if it ever gave out.

**x~X~x**

A couple hours later, after Arthain had written out the sealing array they had used to maintain their bodies, found Arthain and Sasha racing westwards out of Shinto Teito. It was still quite early in the morning; the sun had yet to rise. The cover of darkness would aid their escape from the city, especially with the chaos and mess left behind by the civil war, and what happened couldn't be considered anything else, there were large gaps in MBI's security around the city.

The two of them had the skills necessary to get out of the city during the height of its lockdown; with the way things were it was going to be simple.

"My first question: What's wrong? An added explanation: You look very worried about something." Sasha asked with a slight frown on her face.

Despite how rough things had gone the night before everything had worked out for them in the end. They were heading out of the city with the blessing of their creator. He had even paid them for the seal Arthain had written out for him. Hayato had a lot of wealth stored at his home, even giving them a fraction of it would ensure that they could live comfortably for at least a couple years.

"There's something that's been bugging me ever since I got the memories from one of the ANBU members." Arthain said, his brow was furrowed in deep thought, "The one that helped Yume with Tharja is the one that concerns me the most."

"My second question: Why does that concern you?" She hadn't noticed anything wrong with that set of memories in particular.

"Well…" Arthain paused as he tried to formulate the proper words to phrase what he was thinking, "The ANBU said Yume's Norito was still active… That was two hours and two battles after it had been initiated.

"My first response: Naruto has potent chakra, even if only a certain amount can be absorbed, the amount that is should be more effective than that of a standard Ashikabi's." Hanabi's had lasted at least that long as well. It wasn't that strange to think that a Norito from Naruto would be stronger than that of a regular Ashikabi's.

"Well ya, but that's not what's bugging me in particular." Arthain said as he looked back towards the hidden complex, "If Yume could go two hours and fight two battles on a single Norito… Why did Musubi's run out in five minutes?"

Sasha's blood ran cold.

The disparity of strength between Mutsu and Musubi was far greater than between Yume and any of her opponents. Musubi would have probably burnt through the power faster than Yume, however the discrepancy in time was simply too large to make any sense. Yume hadn't been sitting on her laurels; she had been active the whole time.

They shared the same body as well so the effect of Naruto's chakra on them would have been identical.

"That got me thinking about something." Arthain said somberly, "If the Sekirei crest can be used to receive commands that can literally change the physical makeup and genetic structure of a Sekirei... how hard would it be to send a signal to pre-maturely end a Norito?" It was a rhetorical question. They both knew the answer to that. It wouldn't be very hard, not compared to the difficulty some of the other signals and commands would be.

Sasha was worried but she didn't let it show on her face, "My third question: Would Kurama not have-."

"No, he wouldn't have detected it." Arthain interrupted her; he knew what she was thinking. "It wasn't something that would affect the bond between Naruto and Musubi so it wouldn't be anything that would translate into something that Kurama would have been aware of." Musubi hadn't been linked to Kurama at the time. Arthain had a very bad feeling about where this train of thought was heading.

"My fourth question: But why would anyone want to end her Norito prematurely? That would guarantee that she would fall against Mutsu. With it she may have survived." Not 'may' have, she would have. From the recount of the battle from Homura, Musubi's Norito had run out halfway through the battle. She had fallen several minutes later. If she had held on even two minutes longer Akitsu would have arrived and things would have taken a different turn. Having the Norito last its full duration would have ensured she lasted those extra two minutes.

"I don't know why, I can't think of any motive that could drive someone to do that. That's the only reason I haven't run back to Naruto to tell him. I can't think of anyone that could, or a reason 'why' someone would do it." Until he figured that out it was pure speculation. There could be other reasons for why Musubi's Norito ran out so much faster than Naruto's

He just couldn't think of anything aside from pure coincidence and even that was stretching it. For the sake of Shinto Teito Arthain REALLY hoped it was simple coincidence.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

There the role of the clones is done!

Anyways, let me know what you think of the clones, what you liked, disliked, and the just plain strange (and this isn't limited to just Arthain and Sasha). It'll help me write better stuff in the future. And don't just say you hated it or liked it; I want to know 'why'. I can't do anything if I don't know why something is good or bad.

Also feel free to comment on other aspects of the chapter too, I think I'd cry if all I got was 50 reviews saying "KILL THE CLONES! RARGH! *teeth gnashing*".

No Kazehana for those that wanted her. The only argument for her inclusion into the harem was that she was wind based, just like him, and a pervert. I'm sorry but that's not a good enough reason. I didn't see any way of really fitting her in properly, personality wise, with Naruto's swarm. I tried to think of interesting ways I could write her in and came up empty. I've already added an extra one, by accident, this past arc and with the potential for Miya in the future (No she's not guaranteed despite what I've written thus far) we're up to 6 Sekirei. I'm really stretching the limits of believability and my ability to give them all sufficient screen time. I was also tired of simply tossing all the refuse that Naruto doesn't get to Minato.

And finally I didn't want to simply give her to a random Ashikabi either and the plan can't move on until all Sekirei are winged or removed in some way so I needed to get rid of her.

Blanc's attacks are all in German (Except Getter Ravine, no idea why that's in English), if you have no idea what she's saying, well, neither do I. Let's all just bask in the cuteness that is Blanc pulling off crazy moves!


	20. Chapter 19: Relaxation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: The chapter title gives away everything this chapter is meant to be. No weird plots, no cliff hangers, just wrapping things up and enjoying a nice relaxing chapter. This is the chapter where Akitsu gets her wings, as you might imagine there will be some adult scenes in this chapter. If you're not of age I suggest you don't read it. Or at least stop once they reach the hot springs and then just read the notes at the bottom of the chapter. **

**In a proper novel a chapter such as this wouldn't even exist, a good story doesn't let the reader have a break, there's always tension happening however I feel like the readers need a bit of a break, besides I like this chapter ^_^.**

**Review Responses: **Do you people 'honestly' think Naruto's chakra control is so horrible that he can't do a simple Kawarimi no Jutsu when he just managed to combine three powerful dragon bullet techniques into a singular massive collaborative technique? Really? His chakra control slipped, no doubt, but don't blame him for it, just file away that piece of information for later. File it away along with 'how did Blanc trip while standing still AND hovering above the ground with anti-gravity boots?'

Someone asked why didn't I give Kazehana a 'death' scene, although she's technically still alive. I did, although very limited, did everyone remember the building exploding just after an attack helicopter 'lost control' and how Takami mentioned how the military took out an entire building to take down Kazehana? That building Naruto watched explode was the building Kazehana was on.

Another individual mentioned Naruto and how he forgot his summons, good point. At first I did forget, it wasn't until like chapter 12 that I realized 'shit what about summons?' Then I realized it wouldn't matter anyways. If he tried it'd just fail all things considered. After all, the toads are dead, all summons are. Chakra starvation ended their lives, but that's a different story that's not actually covered in this crossover.

I've noticed now several people have mentioned the term 'I mean' in my story. I see your point but I want to point out that it's not breaking the fourth wall, it's breaking the first. Whenever I used I like that I'm switching from third person to first person point of view in those situations. That's still bad writing because you should always remain in one point of view or another. Swapping spontaneously like that is bad writing so I'll endeavour to change it. Actually the whole 'I mean' is a personal quirk so it would make more sense to remove it all together since that's a personal quirk I'm embedding on Naruto and the other characters.

To Zikarn Krais… You're wrong… it's SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!

To the guest that reviewed, Naruto didn't use Hiraishin right away because he used Hanabi as a point of reference to teleport to. When the ambush happened she hadn't returned to Charlie Point yet. She had by the time the conversation with Takami was finished.

I got a lot of different, some positive and some negative, feedback on the clones. I'll definitely take much of what everyone has said to heart and use them in the future. I already know two things I need to fix. Using my pen-name makes it seem like a self-insertion, that's a no-no. They were also given too much screen time considering they were only tertiary characters, minor secondary at best. The amount of screen time they were given, along with the name, made them appear more important to the readers than they were meant to be. I got a lot of other feedback but those are two major things that cropped up repeatedly.

**Chapter 19: Relaxation**

The sun was just beginning to rise when Naruto, Hanabi and his Sekirei left the underground bunker and headed north back to Izumo Inn. They kept to the rooftops for the most part, although there were sections where they had to go to ground level since the buildings in their path had been destroyed.

The rain storm from the day before had ended and only a few wispy clouds remained in the sky. The buildings and streets were still damp from the rain and the damp smell of rain still hung in the air.

While MBI was once again in control of the city and the war was over, it had taken its toll on the place. Many buildings were destroyed and entire blocks had burnt down before the fire department had been able to get there. The rain had done wonders to prevent the fire from spreading too far too rapidly but it had still done some damage. The streets were empty as well. No one seemed to want to leave their homes.

Naruto grimaced as he surveyed the damage done to the city. This was not how the operation was supposed to have panned out. He couldn't help but feel guilty for what had been done to the place. While none of his actions directly caused any harm to people outside Mikogami's little group, aside from Tharja's rampage, others had taken advantage of his actions and this was the result.

What he didn't understand was why Minaka had taken over Japan. As the head of MBI he had almost as much power as parliament anyways. He had bought out Shinto Teito; he could do whatever he wanted with the city. Why did he need the rest of Japan? Naruto couldn't help but think that things were going to get a lot worse before it got any better.

The police, for whatever worth they ended up being, at least managed to protect some of the more key structures such as the banks and the Hospitals.

The women the Yakuza Squad had kidnapped during their trouble making in the south were returned to their homes safely. He had several clones take them out just before they had left. Thankfully the homes of their parents hadn't been damaged and it had been easy to deposit them safely there.

That brought him to the newest addition to their group: Ayesha Altugle. Ayesha said she wanted to come with them back to Izumo Inn. She had gotten used to cooking and serving tea to the people living at Charlie Point and she didn't have any other place to go. She had been brought from over-seas by Mikogami Hayato's father and given to him as a maid. With Mikogami Hayato dead she had nowhere left to go and it was doubtful Mikogami's father would ever take her back.

She also wanted to look after little Kuu-chan.

Naruto had been unsure at first. Ayesha was still relatively unknown and while Blanc was in the same position, the latter was at least bound to him and would be loyal as a result provided he didn't make any comments about her chest size.

After a quick huddle with Hanabi he had decided to bring her along. She didn't feel like a Sekirei and Hanabi could detect no core within her. In addition there was no hint of deceit or trickery anywhere.

If she wanted to betray them she would have done it before now. Ayesha was, from what Naruto could tell, just a genuinely caring and loving individual. He'd have to make sure not to speak of anything around her that he didn't want spread because he honestly didn't believe she knew how to keep a secret, or even why it was necessary. Ayesha probably couldn't even comprehend the reason for it or that anyone would want to take advantage of it.

It was different than Musubi. With Musubi it was pure ignorance and naivety. With Ayesha it was innocence. She was so pure she just assumed everyone else was as well.

Kusano was awake now as well. Yume was giving a piggyback ride much to the young Sekirei's enjoyment. She clung to her and shouted in joy each time Yume jumped from building to building. Naruto could only smile helplessly at the precious scene. It was another high point of the operation: To see Kusano cheerful and happy and soon to be reunited with her proper Ashikabi.

Any time he had doubts about the outcome of the mission all he had to do was take one look at her happy face and the doubts all fled.

Naruto had originally opted to carry Ayesha back to Izumo Inn. Yume already had Kusano, Blanc was too small to carry her and Hanabi's arms had just healed and he didn't want to strain them so soon after being healed.

However an objection had come from the strangest of places: Akitsu. Naruto didn't know what it was that set the Sekirei off but she didn't want him to carry Ayesha and had decided to do it for him. He had agreed and let her take Ayesha, Akitsu so rarely asserted herself that Naruto was only too happy to give in, especially for something so small. If it made Akitsu happier and more comfortable then he had no issues with it.

Aside from the few detours and changes they had to make to account for the destruction they made it back to Izumo Inn with no trouble and in good time.

Naruto walked through the front door of Izumo Inn with a big grin on his face, "Hey Miya-chan! We're bac- Whoa what happened here?" Naruto asked as he stopped just inside the doorway. Matsu was on her hands in knees hammering boards over a hole in the far wall and Homura was trying his best to repair a crater?

"Narutan!" Matsu cried out and hurriedly rushed over to his side. Matsu grabbed his shoulders and stared him directly in the eyes as his Sekirei filed into the Inn. "NEVER EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" She shouted in desperation as she shook him violently.

"N-N-Never d-d-dooo w-w-what a-a-again-n-n." Naruto stuttered out as his head was shook back and forth. The last time he had seen Matsu this panicked was when Kaho had been chasing her.

No this was actually worse than that.

"Matsu." A voice cracked through the air like a whip. The red haired Sekirei froze and quickly backed away. "You still need to fix the hole in the wall you made Matsu-san." Miya said with a softer voice. There was a serene smile on Miya's face as she strode through the room.

"Y-Yes Miya-san." Matsu squeaked and rushed back to the wall. Homura almost started to laugh but a quick glance from Miya was all it took to quiet him and he quickly went back to work.

Kaho, Tsukiumi and Minato just nodded vigorously from their spot near the TV. They didn't want to be the target of Miya's 'looks'. Not after what they went through yesterday. Miya was still on edge due to Naruto's failure to return the day before.

The three of them were watching a news report detailing how the Japanese government, with aid from the Emperor, had tried to sell the nation and its people out to a foreign power. They even included special video footage of MBI forces valiantly battling against the invaders. One of the battles included an impressive footage where large beams of energy and massive chunks of ice devastated a large tank column.

"Welcome back everyone." Miya said pleasantly as he eyes roamed from individual to individual. She brought her free hand to her mouth as he eyes rested upon Naruto. "I'm sure Naruto-san will want to wash properly and make sure to dress his injuries properly." She said pleasantly as she tilted her head and closed her eyes, "Right?"

"Ah ha ha… you saw that didn't you?" Naruto said slowly as his eyes panned over to the television. "You're not upset are you?"

"Oh why would I be upset Uzumaki-san? Why should I care if one of my residents decides he wants to stop a tank with his chest?" Despite the pleasant tone to her voice her smile was anything but as she slowly glided across the room. "It's not like there's anyone who would 'worry' over him now is there? He's just a beast and a pervert after all."

Naruto winced at the jab. He was pretty sure Miya wouldn't really accept any excuse he had to offer. It's not like he wanted to have half his side blown off but women didn't really care about little things like that. They needed someone to vent their frustration on.

"You know… Hanabi said much the same thing when I woke up this morning." Naruto said lamely as he scratched the back of his head.

Hanabi had torn into him when he had woken up. He may not have wanted to get shot by the tank but he should have been more aware of his surroundings, he shouldn't have stopped in the open, he should have heeded the warning immediately, he should have been more concerned about his own safety.

Miya glanced over at Hanabi and gave her a quick smile before she refocused her attention on Naruto. From somewhere within the depths of her kimono she pulled out a rather large first aid kit. "Since I know that trying to convince you to go to a Hospital would be futile I must insist that you take a bath and clean yourself thoroughly."

"Ah…" Naruto started to protest.

"I'll make sure he does Miya-san." Hanabi said with a smile as she took the kit from the landlady. She tilted her head and glanced over at Naruto, "Come."

Naruto's head sagged and he sighed in resignation. "Two of them… There are two of them." With a forced sob Naruto slowly made his way across the room and followed Hanabi up the stairs to the second floor.

"Wow you two have him trained pretty well." Blanc said with surprise as she leaned against the wall near the front door. She had sealed her axe away within a small storage seal on her arm, the axe was too heavy and large to carry indoors normally.

"Hanabi-san seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Maybe I should teach her." Miya said thoughtfully as she eyed the stairs leading up to the second floor. Naruto was spontaneous, wild and difficult to control. However with the two of them it shouldn't be impossible.

Everyone save the newcomers stared at Miya in horror but no one dared to make a complaint.

Just then Kusano and ran into the Inn. "Onii-chan!" Kusano cried out in joy as she spotted Minato. The little girl quickly ran forward, jumped on Homura's back and launched herself across the room and into Minato's arms.

Homura collapsed on the ground with a solid oomph as he turned to glare at Kusano. There wasn't any heat in the look, just annoyance that quickly faded. Homura couldn't help but grin at the sight. Naruto, the bastard, had actually done it. He had defied all odds and rescued Kuu-chan.

He hadn't seen Kusano in any of the footage of Naruto and his Sekirei shown on TV yesterday so he had been concerned that something had gone wrong.

Near the door to the kitchen Yume leaned against the wall and smiled. She couldn't help but enjoy the scene before her. It made everything worthwhile to see little Kusano so happy and free. Despite all the terrible things that had happened yesterday this one sight made it all worthwhile.

Akitsu was nearby looking down at the scene as well. Her face was expressionless but the softness in her eyes was all you needed to see to know how she felt about it.

Blanc couldn't help but a soft smile as well but a quiet sigh soon followed. Miya looked at her oddly. Blanc bowed slightly to the land lady and quietly left the house. She needed some fresh air. It was a very touching scene in there but she felt like a fifth wheel. She hadn't been part of the rescue; she was one of the ones that had been saved.

It just didn't feel right to intrude upon them. As she rested against the side of the inn she glanced around the front yard of the inn. There was something off here.

She couldn't see Ayesha anywhere.

**x~X~x**

"Not particularly happy about this." Naruto muttered from his position in the bath. He was kneeled down and bent over the side of the tub as Hanabi scrubbed his back.

The two of them were in the bath together as Hanabi took care of thoroughly cleaning Naruto. While there was no danger of Naruto suffering from an infection like Miya insinuated he might they both still needed a bath. That was one of the unfortunate downsides to having a hidden complex beneath an abandoned warehouse. While they could get electricity going there was a distinct lack of water.

Regardless of Naruto's injuries and the proper cleaning that should go into taking care of them they both needed this bath to clean off the sweat and grim from the day before.

"You can't be upset about Miya-san forcing you to take a bath." Hanabi said disapprovingly.

"No, I don't particularly mind that, that's just Miya being Miya, although she definitely seemed far more agitated today than usual." Naruto said as he took in Miya's earlier attitude. It was not difficult to see what had happened there, at least partially. Miya had become enraged at something and Homura and Matsu had tried to calm her down. They must have succeeded to some degree however it didn't take a genius to realize just what the cause of Miya's ire was.

It was him. Or rather getting a piece of his body blown off by a tank. With MBI broadcasting the whole incident nation-wide to drum up support and from the scenes shown on the television it wasn't hard to deduce that Miya, and in fact everyone at Izumo Inn, had seen him get hurt.

More than likely most of Japan, and possibly even the world, saw that as well. Guess his days of anonymity were over. The fact that he could take a tank round to the chest and survive bespoke of a regenerative capability that many would wish to exploit.

Something MBI is probably already doing. They were probably going to use that footage as a way of pushing and promoting products they'd created based on his blood.

"I'm upset about being broadcast on National TV. The whole operation was meant to be incognito. There was supposed to be 'nothing' to link me to what happened in the south and now it's all over the news that my Sekirei and I were not only down there, but fighting as well." He was upset at how easily Minaka had manipulated him and was using him to further his own goals.

Hanabi wrapped her hands around Naruto and held him tight. "It's alright, at least you haven't been branded a criminal or something like that. We'll figure something out." Hanabi gently turned his head and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Speaking of figuring something out, you remember those names you mentioned that each Sekirei have?"

"Yes, have you figured anything out?"

Hanabi nodded, "Yes, it's not a coincidence; they're related to their namesakes." A few days prior to the operation when Naruto had visited her she had asked him to divulge all the information he knew about the Sekirei. Specifically they're abilities and personalities.

"You're certain?" Naruto asked as he got serious.

"Yes. I can write off that it's a coincidence because of how well their personalities and powers match up with their family name. A Sekirei's abilities always seem to match one or more dominate traits of their namesakes. Matsu with her information and perverseness is similar to Jiraiya. Homura and his fire ability match the Uchiha affinity. Akitsu and her ice based powers and personality match that of Haku. Even Karasuba closely resembles Ameyuri Ringo and even if you hadn't mentioned Miya's last name, and we were still in the Elemental Nations, I would have wondered if Miya was related to Yugao in some way." There were too many similarities, too many coincidences. If there physical appearance matched up in every case Hanabi would have gone so far as to assume they were clones of the originals, or at least a significant portion of them was the same such as a sibling or a child.

"And what we need to figure out now is…"

"… Whether or not they came from our home, or an alternate version of our home." Hanabi finished for him.

It was not altogether outside the realm of possibility. When Naruto had activated the reality defying sealing array they had been rejected by the universe. It had sent them into limbo, a place where time didn't exist, and they never changed. When they were brought back it was into a completely foreign world and foreign place. Hanabi had seen the maps of this world. They were not in the Elemental Nations. Even if she would to account for continental drift over millions of years none of the current continents could have formed a landmass that resembled the Elemental Nations. That meant that where they were now at no time in the past, or the future, was or would be the Elemental Nations.

It was likely that while their universe or dimension had rejected them, another had accepted them. The only questions she had was why and how? Why bother accepting them and risk having something similar occur again in the future. How would it bring them back even if it did want to accept them?

And this was assuming that the universe was even a living creature and not simply a collection of rules and laws running autonomously.

Still if that was what had happened then it was possible that the Sekirei here, of this time were the dimensional counter-parts of people they knew from their home. Accepting that possibility would explain a lot of things.

Hanabi said as much to Naruto.

"It's definitely possible, while no one has ever done dimensional travel before, not true dimensional travel, Obito could create a pocket dimension. That means alternative dimensions DO exist. Considering half the stuff we have seen over the course of our life drifting between one dimension and another after being rejected by our own is not that farfetched." Naruto mused. He turned around and faced his love, "Thanks Hanabi, if they are our dimensional counter-parts then maybe…"

Maybe he could make up for the mistakes of the past by saving those he had failed once before.

Hanabi knew what was going through Naruto's mind and hugged him tightly again. "Yes, I'll keep thinking on the 'how' and the 'why'. Just leave it to me." Hanabi said and suddenly a mischievous grin crossed her face. "**Byakugan**!" Her eyes bulged as she activated her bloodline.

"Hanabi?"

"Since I'm the last one this afternoon I think it's only fair that I get to sample the main dish beforehand right?" She said as she positioned Naruto under her and gently lowered herself onto him.

"Miya won't like this." Naruto murmured as he felt the warmth envelope him. "She doesn't approve of illicit activities in the bath."

"Perhaps, but I can see her coming long before she arrives." Hanabi said with a grin. Hanabi could see Miya in the main living room now. A curious look crossed Hanabi's face, "Interesting." Hanabi said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"It seems Miya-san is similar to me. She has a Sekirei core inside her, but she also possesses her own chakra circulatory system and chakra."

"So in other words unlike your sealing array hers is complete?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, although it's definitely different than the standard Sekirei's. Even the core is different." All Sekirei had their differences but their cores all served the same purpose. Miya's seems to serve an entirely different purpose than powering her up.

But from what she could see Miya didn't need any powering up. Miya's chakra coils were fully developed and imbued with an enormous amount of chakra. Miya rivaled Naruto in the amount of chakra she possessed.

"Well that's definitely food for thought later. As for right now though…" Naruto said with a grin on his face. He held Hanabi tight and began to kiss her soft skin. "I do believe you're right that it's only fair that you get to sample the dish. After all we need to make sure everything is ready right? We can't have performance issues later on today can we?"

Hanabi moaned as Naruto began to make love to her, "No we certainly can't."

It was fifteen minutes later when Uzume walked into the bath and found Naruto and Hanabi holding each other in their arms as they sat side by side at one end of the bath. The two had a rather satisfied smile on their face.

Miya had paid them two visits during that time. Although Naruto and Hanabi didn't know she could hear them through the rubber ducky, Hanabi could see her coming long before she arrived. Whenever she tried to check up on them she couldn't find anything wrong. They were always just talking quietly and calmly washing themselves as if there was nothing going on. It frustrated her a great deal that she knew they were doing illicit acts but could never catch them doing it. The little knowing smiles on their faces didn't do much to lessen her suspicions either.

"Hey bro how's it going?" Uzume asked as she slowly made her way to the other end of the bath.

"Better, now. I really needed this… relaxing bath."

Uzume gave Hanabi a queer look, "I thought you were in the Hospital still. I was just there this morning and I could have sworn you were in your room."

Hanabi thought quickly, "I healed faster than the doctors thought I would. I didn't want them to think I was strange though so I had my fiancée make a replica of me." Lying came very easily to Hanabi. She knew what to look for to tell if someone else was lying and that made it very easy to erase those same signs from her. Hanabi unwrapped her arms from around Naruto and pressed them together in front of her, "Please don't tell them. I don't want to be considered a freak."

Uzume grinned at her, "No worries from me! I can only do so much to make Chiho smile. I've never seen her as happy before as she is now with you around. I won't say a word." To Uzume Chiho's smile was worth more than the world. She'd fight against MBI itself to keep that smile on her face.

She'd even follow the orders she despised for a man she hated just to keep that smile on her face as long as possible.

"Are you alright Uzume?" Naruto asked curiously. Most people wouldn't notice it but Uzume seemed a little unbalanced on her feet. He hadn't noticed it until he saw her step into the bath. She had wobbled a little when she had lifted her leg to step over the edge.

"Ah, it's nothing bro. Just got too close to a loud screech. My ears are still ringing a bit from that." She would definitely take earplugs next time.

"Oh, alright." Suddenly Naruto grinned, "If you want I can wash your back for you." He said as moved forward a bit and made groping motions with his hands.

"Ah, that's alright, I'm fine on my own." Uzume said as she eyed his hands warily. She wasn't going to let his hands anywhere near her.

Hanabi was about to growl at Naruto when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She may have been fine with his current three Sekirei but this was going over the line. Uzume-san was her friend's Sekirei. She had been about to chastise him when a better idea occurred to her. With a grin she pushed Naruto forward. With a shout of surprise he lurched forward and into Uzume's lap.

Uzume gasped in surprise, "Bro! You ARE a lascivious beast just like Miya always said!"

"What?" Naruto said as he blinked in surprise. That's when he realized both his hands were now cupping bountiful amounts of Uzume's breasts.

The door to the bath opened with a slam, "Uzumaki-san! What have I said about illicit activities in Izumo Inn!" Miya growled as she stalked forward, finally she could catch at least one of them doing something. She was glad it was Naruto since she had a lot of pent up aggression she wanted to vent and he had just given her the perfect excuse. "I send you up here to wash and dress your wounds and I see you molesting Uzume-san!"

"He's cheating on me. Right in front of me." Hanabi said as fake tears streamed down her face.

"I guess my womanly charms were too much for bro, he has fallen prey to his beastly lusts." Uzume said sadly as she tried to pry his hands off her chest, although she didn't try very hard. "He won't let go no matter what I do."

"All three of them…" Naruto said in resignation. All three of them were ganging up on him and they all knew it wasn't his fault. Just like before with Musubi, if the grave is dug you might as well jump in and make yourself comfortable. Naruto began to kneed and massage Uzume's breasts, eliciting a gasp from the Sekirei. "Wow Uzume, I didn't know you shaved, I must say it's quite the view." Naruto said as he stared intently at a particular spot between Uzume's legs.

"NARUTO-KUN!" Both Miya and Hanabi shouted as a dark aura erupted around the former and the latter no longer thought of it as a joke.

"Ah crap." Was all Naruto was able to say before Hanabi slammed him through the wall of the bath and out into the back yard.

"I told Matsu she'd toss me through a wall if I went after anyone else!" Naruto shouted as he sailed across the yard. He loved being right, although sometimes it hurt less when he was wrong.

He didn't have any more time for musing as both Hanabi and Miya jumped out the hole after him. Where Hanabi had gotten the towel that was now wrapped around her he didn't know but it didn't lessen the gorgeous view.

All Naruto could think before he started to run for his life was that, like how Minato almost died by being suffocated between huge breasts, this was also near the top of the list on ways to die: Being chased down by two beautiful females.

Maybe he was masochistic. That wasn't a very comforting thought.

**x~X~x**

An hour later a bruised Naruto eased himself down at the table in the main room of Izumo Inn. He winced as a particularly nasty bruise on his ass flared up under the sudden pressure. Leading Miya on a merry chase around Izumo Inn was easy and fun, but Hanabi went for the kill. It was impossible to get away from the both of them.

They had caught him within five minutes.

He had managed to escape several times but they always managed to hunt him down again. Needless to say he was suffering for it. The two of them had been careful not to hit his torso though, as angry as they were at him they realized he was still healing from his earlier injury.

Of course that left his arms, legs, ass, and face as perfectly legitimate targets and they made good use of them. And since Kurama was busy healing the real injuries to his body he was going to have to suffer through these for a good while.

At least he knew he wasn't masochistic, this was painful and he didn't like it.

"I hope there won't be any more illicit activities in the bath Naruto-san." Miya said in a stern voice as she sat in her customary place at the table.

"Yes Miya-san." Naruto answered, he had detected a distinct sense of satisfaction in Miya's voice as she berated him. She had probably wanted to punish him for getting hurt the other day but was too afraid of aggravating the injury to act upon her desire to chastise him properly.

"And you won't be molesting my friend's Sekirei again right Naruto-kun?" Hanabi demanded as she glared at her fiancée. She was completely ignoring the fact that she had been the one to shove Naruto into Uzume's lap.

"Yes Hanabi-san." Naruto said. He was in too much pain to make any more smart remarks. Hanabi was the reason he was hurting so much. She was the one that had tipped Miya to the fact that his arms, legs, and face were all still fair game for punishment.

Miya had become increasingly vigorous in her desire to punish him after she had learned that. He had small cuts and nicks all over his arms and legs because of Miya's katana. Naruto had always known Miya was good with her blade but the way she opened him up was simply amazing, focusing on maximum pain but minimum blood.

It hurt like hell.

"Naruto-san, I want to thank you for rescuing Kuu-chan." Minato said with a small nervous smile.

Kusano was sitting happily in Minato's lap as she drew a colorful picture on a piece of paper. Minato had winged Kusano soon after they had been rejoined, Naruto had known immediately that had happened since that had caused him to get caught the third time. The root had come out of nowhere and tripped him. Miya and Hanabi had been quick to capitalize on that. That's where most of the bruises on his ass came from.

Tsukiumi and Kaho were seated on either side of Minato. Kaho watched on in amusement as Naruto was berated by Hanabi and Miya and Tsukiumi had her usual haughty expression.

Matsu was still repairing the wall she broke.

Naruto waved his hand dismissively and returned a grin, "It's not a problem. I always keep my promises, and I did promise to save her." At least he always tried to keep his promises.

"Did you have to destroy half of Shinto Teito to do it?" Homura asked as he entered the room from the hallway. He had finished repairing the floor only a few minutes before Miya and Hanabi had caught him for the last time. "Now that insane bastard is in control of Japan!" Homura was more than a little upset. He had planned to kill Minaka at the earliest opportunity but now that he was emperor that task just became much harder.

Naruto lowered his gaze and sighed, "Sorry, Minaka played me like a fiddle. It was my mistakes that allowed him to take control." If he had done a better job at keeping his plans a secret Minaka wouldn't have known something was going on until it was already starting. Naruto knew something about military operations. They didn't just 'happen.' It always took a little bit of time to get the troops ready and in position.

"Well your mistakes always seem to get people killed." Homura winced, that came out a little harsher than he had intended.

Naruto flinched. Homura was right and Naruto knew it. His mistake with Mikogami had cost many people their lives. His mistake with Kusano had cost Musubi her life. His mistakes back in the Elemental Nations always got someone killed. Every time he made a bad judgement call someone died.

Sometimes they died even when he made the right call.

From one angle you could say the last nine years of his life revolved around getting people killed either to accomplish his goals or because of the mistakes he made in accomplishing those goals: Hiashi, Hinata, Yugao, Sakura, Shikamaru, Musubi, countless innocent people both here and back in the Elemental nations.

Blanc took one look at Naruto and snapped before Hanabi or anyone else could retort, "You snobby bitch! Say that again and I'll rip your tongue out! Where the hell were you when people were dying over there? All safe and cozy up here sitting on your frickin ass is what!" Blanc shouted at Homura. Her eyes lit up red as she glared daggers at him.

Naruto's head shot up and a small smile creased his face, "Blanc it's-."

"No, she's right Naruto-kun." Hanabi said as her face became imperious. "Sometimes just as much harm can be done through inaction as action." She stared stonily at Homura. She knew just exactly how much pain Naruto had gone through over the course of his life, how much he had been forced to sacrifice. She'd beat on him for being a pervert but she wouldn't stand for someone calling his actions into question. "How many innocent lives could have been saved had you acted instead of watched on the sidelines."

Homura faced heated up in both anger and embarrassment. He hadn't meant to be so harsh and now they were blowing up on him. "Now, now, that will be quite enough about that." Miya said as she ended the conversation before anyone could explode. She gave the three of them a pointed look. When she was certain that conversation had been dropped she gave Blanc her full attention, "It seems we have a couple new guests here, shall I assume they will be staying here?"

"Oh, right, everyone this is Blanc." Naruto said as he gestured towards the petite Sekirei. "She's my newest Sekirei, recently freed from Mikogami Hayato."

Blanc gave Homura one last glare, "Hello everyone." Blanc said politely as she bowed to everyone but Homura.

"Blanc as you may have already deduced this is Miya-chan." Naruto said as he gestured towards the landlady, "And that young man over there is Minato and three of his Sekirei. His fourth one, Matsu, is currently repairing the hole in the wall she made yesterday."

"Matsu-tan is a good girl."

Naruto moved on to the last person in the room, "And the one you were arguing with earlier is Homura, he's works as a host whenever he's not making holes in the floor."

"Wait, he?" Blanc said incredulously as she stared at the grey-haired man. "Homura is a he?" Naruto nodded, he was slightly confused by Blanc's reaction. Blanc's anger erupted once more and her eyes turned red as she glared at Homura "No! I refuse! How the hell does 'he' have bigger tits than me!?" Yume and Akitsu were bad enough with those thunder tits of theirs, but at least they were female. This was just plain wrong. She was going to make someone suffer for this humiliation.

Homura covered his chest in embarrassment. Naruto stared intently at the flame-wielding Sekirei's chest, "When did you get tits Homura?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Stop talking about my tits!" Homura shouted as he tried in vain to hide his new assets.

"Just leave him alone, his tits are still in their developing stage. They're not very well defined or formed at the moment." Hanabi said as she quickly deactivated her Byakugan before anyone could notice it.

Homura felt more than a little offended by that remark.

Naruto shrugged, "Fair enough, I'll give him some time to grow them fully before I pass judgement on them. If you need any help growing them Homura I can help." Naruto offered his assistance. With how malleable the Sekirei seal was, and with what he knew now, he could help Homura grow them properly.

"Gah! Leave my tits alone!"

"I think that's quite enough of that topic." Miya said as she cut in again. "I'm sure Homura-san doesn't need any help growing his breasts." She said as she held a hand up to her mouth and held back a laugh.

"Not you too Miya!" Homura complained.

A trickle of blood began to stream out of Minato's nose.

"And why are you getting a nose bleed?!" Homura asked aghast.

"Husband! How dare you look at Homura's breasts!" Tsukiumi shouted angrily at her Ashikabi, she blushed and twiddled her fingers together, "If you want to look at breasts you can look at mine."

Minato coughed in embarrassment quickly wiped the blood away. "Ah-hah, sorry Tsukiumi." Minato apologized and quickly changed the subject, this was dangerous territory. He turned to Miya, "It's not a problem if Kuu-chan stays is it?" He asked pleadingly.

"I trust you won't introduce her to any illicit activities?" Miya said with a small closed-eye smile.

"Of course not!" She was just a child; he'd never consider doing anything sexual to her.

"I do believe I saw him sticking his tongue into her mouth earlier." Naruto commented lightly as he referred to when Minato had winged Kusano.

Of course Naruto hadn't seen anything but it would be funny to see how Minato reacted.

"Minato-san…" Miya started as a dark purple aura erupted around her.

"N-No that's not what happened it was an acci-." Minato clamped his mouth shut as he realized just what he had implied.

Naruto blinked.

Hanabi blinked.

Miya blinked.

Naruto grabbed his phone and immediately dialed 119, "Hi, yes, I would like to report a crime."

Hanabi quickly reached across the table and pulled Kusano away from Minato. She turned her back to the young man and hid Kusano from him.

"Onee-chan?" Kusano asked curiously as she snuggled in Hanabi's embrace.

"There, there, Kuu-chan I'll keep you away from the big bad child molester." Hanabi said gently as she stroked Kusano's hair comfortingly.

"Mi-na-to-san..." Miya was standing now. Her katana was drawn and the tip of it was resting under Minato's chin. A large hannya mask appeared over her shoulder. "Care to explain to me what you were doing earlier?"

Unsurprisingly Minato couldn't get out anything other than incoherent babble.

Five minutes later after Minato had been reduced to a quivering ball of fear and bruised flesh Miya sat demurely sat down satisfied. This was a good day for her. She had been able to chastise both Naruto and Minato. She was well aware that Minato had probably done nothing illicit, if he didn't have the courage to do it with his other Sekirei he certainly wouldn't do it with Kusano, but she still had some left over frustration to work out and Naruto was too injured to use him for the time being.

Homura looked down at the poor teen in pity and sighed, "You realize it really was an accident right? He had been talking when Kusano decided she wanted her wings and jumped into his face."

Naruto just grinned and put his phone away. "I didn't even realize it had happened at all. I didn't see anything; I only knew she got winged because an energetic root decided it wanted to dry hump my ankle. I just wanted to see how he'd react." He stretched his arms and stood up, "Anyways, Hanabi, Blanc, we should go find Yume and Akitsu. We all have a date with some nice hot relaxation. I think after yesterday we all deserve it."

**x~X~x**

The hot springs in western Shinto Teito were actually inside an enclosed compound. The compound itself spanned at least a dozen acres and was home to many different structures. Most of it was personal homes but there were dojos, hostels and of course the hot springs. The hot springs had 4 different pools and each one was enclosed by a tall ten foot barrier. The barrier served to prevent anyone from peeping into the area as while the barrier 'appeared' to be wood there was a sheet of metal through the middle of it.

No one would be caught dead trying to scale it any wall in the compound. The complex was owned by the largest Yakuza group in Shinto Teito and anyone caught trying to scale a wall or climbing over a roof was immediately labeled a target and was usually killed on sight.

It was one of the few areas even Naruto entered through the normal way. The Yakuza weren't a threat to him, not really, but there was no point in making them upset when there wasn't any reason for it.

Besides they were expecting him today. He had reserved one of the hot spring pools for twenty-four hours. They'd have it well into tomorrow. This Yakuza group was a great bunch in Naruto's opinion. So long as you paid up front and respected their rules they treated you like you were their brother.

It was nice to see the owner of the hot spring facility and a couple of the maids that worked there greet them when they arrived at the entrance to the complex.

"Welcome Uzumaki-san." The owner and the two maids bowed low as Naruto and his Sekirei arrived.

"Hey there! Is everything prepared?" Naruto asked as they walked down the stone path towards the hot springs.

"Yes Uzumaki-san. Your room has been prepared and the pool is available whenever you wish," The owner had been instructed to treat Naruto with the utmost courtesy. Naruto had done his boss a large favor in the past and had become a VIP member as a result.

"Thank you."

Trailing behind Naruto were his Sekirei and Hanabi. Hanabi was concealing her presence as per usual since she's technically still supposed to be in the Hospital. Behind her Yume and Akitsu were talking quietly, although Yume did most of the talking and Akitsu just answered. Blanc brought up the rear looking decidedly uncomfortable without her axe in her hands. It hadn't been left behind but the Yakuza would not have looked upon her kindly for bringing in a six foot tall axe with an axe head almost as large as she was. Naruto had instead opted to seal it within a scroll and carry it with him.

The hot spring resort was a simple single story structure in the shape of a large 'u'. There was a large foyer just past the front doors. The foyer was lined with couches and potted plants gave color and life to the room. At the far side there were two curtains, one said male and the other female, with a long desk stretched out before them. These were the public springs open to anyone who was staying the night at the resort.

This wasn't where Naruto and company were headed. Instead the owner took them down the right wing of the resort and took them around the bend and all the way to the end of the hallway. Here there was a pair of locked double doors that opened up into a luxurious penthouse style suite.

The girls eyes widened in surprise as they took the time to survey the accommodations. It didn't ooze money like Mikogami Hayato's mansion did but it was borderline. Obviously only the very wealthy could afford to sleep in a place like this.

"Holy shit what the hell did you do to earn something like this?" Blanc asked as looked around with wide eyes. She was more surprised that Naruto could easily acquire something like this than she was at the sight of all the wealth.

"Let's just say being awesome has its uses." Naruto said and left it at that. You just didn't betray your former employers, no matter who asked. He hadn't even told Hanabi what he had done to garner such favor and while he knew she was curious she was professional enough to understand why he didn't say anything. Missions over a certain rank were kept secret for a reason. What you didn't know you couldn't reveal.

"It also comes with its own private hot spring Lady Blanc." The owner said as he bowed low and swept an arm out towards the back door.

In addition to the two public pools there were two private hot springs, one attached to each of the luxury suites at the end of either wing. These pools had more than just the standard sheet metal and tall sides to block peeping. The external side of the barrier was electrified and while it wasn't noticeable the roof of the suite was covered in three inch spikes that would tear through the soles of even the strongest materials.

Unless you could fly or had a vertical of more than ten feet there wasn't any way to get into area from the outside. Which meant only Sekirei or similar beings had any chance of getting in any both Naruto and Hanabi would sense those individuals long before they arrived.

The owner was particularly proud of this suite. While the two suites in this place were 'supposedly' of equal comfort and style this particular suite had far more effort and money put into making it just right. Normally guests such as Uzumaki-san would be directed to the less opulent of the two suites but Mistress Prime had insisted that Uzumaki-san be placed in this one. He didn't know what made Uzumaki-san so special but one didn't ask questions when someone that high up in the group gave commands. You simply obeyed and hoped everything went alright.

"I like this place. Even that bastard Hayato didn't have his own private hot spring." Blanc said as she peered out the back door.

Naruto grinned at Blanc. "Are all the refreshments prepared like I asked?" He addressed the owner.

"Of course Uzumaki-san. Everything is as you have requested." The owner said quickly, "I need to check on the others guests but these two servants will see to anything you need."

Naruto smiled at the maids as the owner hurried out, "If the refreshments are here then you're free for now. But please ensure that breakfast is ready for us at dawn."

"As you wish Uzumaki-sama." The maids said in perfect unison and quickly withdrew from the room.

"We're skipping supper?" Yume asked with an arched eyebrow. Although it was well past noon, and the group had just eaten lunch on the way here, it wasn't so late in the day that they didn't need dinner.

Hanabi chuckled as she pulled her shirt up over her head, "Oh I'm sure you won't be in any mood for dinner when that time comes around." Her voice was slightly muffled by the shirt until she managed to pull it off entirely.

"Why are we here anyways?" Blanc asked as she eyed Hanabi's chest jealously. How can something that large not sag in the slightest?

"To give Akitsu her wings." Naruto answered.

"I know that, but why here? Couldn't you just do this anywhere?"

"I could." Naruto said as his shirt joined Hanabi's on the floor, "But the nature of her problem requires a little more, intimacy than the standard process and thus we are here since Miya doesn't approve of these sorts of actions at Izumo Inn." And with all the stress she had to deal with these past twenty-four hours Naruto felt it wasn't fair to add this to the pile.

Blanc flushed at the implication. "So you're going to have sex with her then?" You could always trust Blanc to be blunt.

"Children would be nice too." Akitsu said softly.

The four stared at her with varying degree of surprise. "Ah, well if it happens it happens I guess." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his nervously.

Akitsu unhooked the chains on her dress and let it fall to the floor around her feet; she laid a gentle hand over her stomach and smiled at Naruto, "I'm ready."

Naruto wasn't sure if she was referring to her desire to be winged or her body's readiness to bear a child but he had a feeling it was both.

Akitsu was almost bowelled over as a naked Yume embraced her from behind and rubbed her cheek against Akitsu's. "Well said Akitsu! Today we shall be enveloped and filled with our Ashikabi's love!"

"Sure, let's call it that." Naruto said and Hanabi just laughed. It was certainly a better way of putting it than calling it what it was. Naruto turned to Blanc, "You don't have to join us if you're uncomfortable with this." He said softly, "The others have known and wanted this for some time now, you just became my Sekirei yesterday so I won't ask you to participate if you don't want to."

Despite the giant blush on Blanc's face she glared at Naruto, "Like hell you're leaving me out of this!"

"You do realize what this entails right?"

Blanc glowered at him and pulled her body suit off, "Of course I know dumbass. Don't think I'm young or naïve just because I'm short!" There was no way he was excluding her. She had been excluded from enough things over the years as it was. There was no way in hell she was going to go back to being in that dark corner while everyone else got the spotlight.

"Well, there's no reason to delay any longer! Let's give Akitsu her wings!" Naruto said cheerfully as he led his loved ones out the back door and into the hot springs.

As those four women followed him out Naruto knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his godfather Jiraiya was proud of him. He was living the dream Jiraiya had always desired. He could almost see his old mentor giving him the thumbs up with blood streaming from his nose while hastily scribbling on a pad of paper in Heaven.

"He'd be proud of you in more ways than one." Hanabi said softly from his side.

"I know." Naruto replied just as softly.

He and Hanabi had worked out the details of today. He could easily satisfy all of his Sekirei at the same time with liberal use of the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** but he knew it would not have the same meaning as it would if they were with the original. To that end they had worked out a rotation in which he would go from Sekirei to Sekirei, giving the three of them equal time with him.

There hadn't been any debate with who Naruto would be with first. Akitsu took priority as this was her special day. He would be with her first and with the help of Hanabi they would give her wings.

Blanc, if she had decided to join them, would be second. It was to show that she was welcomed and not simply an afterthought.

Yume would be third since she was the most accepting, and because in a sense she had already been with him.

Hanabi would be last because she had already been with him many times before, that and there was something she wanted to say to him that she wanted to be private at first.

It was still unreal how events had unfolded and come to this point. If he had asked Hanabi a couple months ago if she would have been willing to share she would have almost killed him on the spot for daring to suggest such a thing.

And now she was doing just that, sharing. Not with just one woman, but with three and she didn't feel the least bit upset about it. Although to be honest if she had been asked to share with her sister she probably could have accepted that.

The hot spring was made to appear as if it was natural. The pool itself had a circular shape to it but it curved and weaved as it took a meandering path around to meet itself. There were large boulders spaced irregularly around the edge, and even within, the hot spring itself. Each one had been rounded and shaped as to appear weathered by time and so that there were no hard edges to hurt oneself upon.

"It's just the right temperature." Naruto commented as he stepped into the hot spring. The water came up just past his knees. It looked as if it got deeper near the center but here the water would stop just before neck level if one were to sit down. He looked up at Akitsu and gave her a gentle smile. With an outstretched hand he beckoned her in, "Come Akitsu, it's time."

The quiet Sekirei reached out and grasped his hand. With a gentle tug Naruto pulled Akitsu into his embrace. He could feel her body heat up as he held her tight. He softly trailed his fingers down her back. His fingers traced the contours of her body as they made their way towards her center. Akitsu gasped in pleasure as Naruto's fingers danced across her most private of areas.

"Shall we go slow or-."

"Wings now, fun later." Akitsu said as she kissed him.

Naruto gave her a gentle smile and lowered her into the water. Akitsu's head snapped back and a loud moan escaped from her lips as Naruto entered her. The small bit of resistance he felt did nothing to impede him.

"Oh Naruto-sama!" Akitsu cried out in joy. What little pain she may have felt from her first time was drowned in the joy of becoming one with her Ashikabi.

Hanabi slide into the spring as well and rested her back against one of the large rounded boulders. Naruto smiled at his long-time companion and brought Akitsu over to her. Hanabi spread her legs as Naruto rested Akitsu against her chest effectively sandwiching her between the two.

They would work together to grant Akitsu her wings. Naruto brought his hand up to cup Akitsu's left cheek and temple while Hanabi cupped her right. They used their other hands to hold Akitsu steady as Naruto's waist began to move back and forth.

Her lips were captured by Naruto's; their tongues began to dance around one another as he began to move in and out of her faster and faster. All she could do was moan and writhe as lances of pure pleasure shot their way through her body.

Naruto and Hanabi began to manipulate their chakra into Akitsu. They could feel the chakra from Naruto's kiss racing through her head and out the crest on her forehead. As Naruto searched for the severed ends of the normal chakra pathway Hanabi gently applied pressure on the chakra redirect path causing it to slow down. A backup began to build but before the pressure could grow too much Naruto extended the severed ends on the seal to the point of build-up. Just as the redirect and the severed end touched Hanabi snipped the redirect with her chakra. Instantly Naruto tied the two severed ends together and allowed the chakra to flow naturally throughout her body.

Hanabi used her own chakra to skillfully remove the crest from her forehead. Blanc and Yume looked on in amazement as the crest literally lifted off Akitsu's forehead before it dissolved into nothing.

Akitsu never felt this wonderful before as she felt her Ashikabi's chakra race through her body. Pathways that were thought to be forever dormant lit up and filled her with pleasure that nearly surpassed that which she was feeling between her legs.

With an audible cry that could easily be heard even through her captured lips she went over the top. Her legs wrapped around Naruto and her hips bucked with incredible force.

Akitsu's legs tightening around Naruto's waist was all he needed to follow Akitsu over the edge. With a soundless shout he released everything he had into her. His power roared through her and filled every crevice it could find. The chakra absorption seals within her flared to life as they drank deeply.

If Akitsu had felt pleasure before, it was nothing compared the pure ecstasy that filled her now. Her Ashikabi's chakra raced through her body and set her aflame with a passion that drowned out the world. Like a tidal wave the power slammed into the barrier at the nape of her, the obstacle that had prevented her from ever truly obtaining an Ashikabi, and tore it down.

With a cry of pure joy a dozen wings of white light shaped like delicate crystals erupted from Akitsu's back as she finally forged a true bond with her Ashikabi. "Naruto-sama… Ashikabi-sama…" She was finally complete. With tears of joy in her eyes Akitsu gave Naruto a brilliant smile. It was the first true smile he had ever seen on her face.

"Thank you." She whispered and kissed him passionately again.

**x~X~x**

Akitsu hadn't wanted the joyous feeling to end so it was nearly thirty minutes later when Naruto turned his attention towards his newest Sekirei, Blanc. The blue-haired Sekirei flushed deeply as he approached. She was sitting in the water but because of her height the water level stopped just below her nose leaving her almost completely submerged. It helped to hide her embarrassment.

"You don't need to force yourself." Naruto said as he sat beside her. "They've all been with me for a while now. I won't push you away like Hayato did, I promise, you don't need to feel like you have to do this just because they are. There will be many more chances for intimacy in the future." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and brought her close. They'd known each other for a day at most and he wanted her to be sure of herself. He wouldn't push her away if she truly wanted this, but he didn't want her to feel as if she needed to do this because everyone else was.

"I want to be accepted." Blanc said as she moved to straddle Naruto's waist.

Naruto wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, "You don't need to do this to be accepted Blanc. I won't push you away or hide you in a corner."

Blanc stared at him with a gentle expression on her face, "I know that damnit. You're too kind but I want to be accepted, entirely, completely, and I don't want to wait any longer!" She had been rejected enough; she had waited long enough to be accepted. She was not going to turn around and run away from the first person to ever truly accept her completely for who she was; flaws and all.

Naruto mind went back over the past twenty-four hours. Every time he had glimpsed Blanc she had been standing by herself, walking by herself, sitting by herself. The only time she was ever seen beside another was when they pulled her in.

"Blanc…"

"Don't be silly Blanc!" Yume cried out cheerfully as she wrapped her arms around the short Sekirei. "Naruto-kun has more than enough love for you, but not just him, so do I! You're our newest sister and I'm never letting you go!" Yume said as she kissed Blanc soundly on the cheek.

Blanc blushed deeply and tried to push Yume away in embarrassment. However a second pair of arms wrapped around her as Akitsu embraced her from the other side. "Naruto-sama accepted me when I was broken, he cared for me, he loved me and did so much for me." Akitsu kissed Blanc on her other cheek, "If he could accept me while I was broken, he can accept you as you are now. And I will accept you as well so that you never have to feel as I once did."

That was the most heartfelt thing anyone had ever heard Akitsu say. Coming from someone like her that meant more quite a lot.

A third pair of arms wrapped themselves around Blanc as Hanabi enveloped her from behind, "Naruto-kun may be stubborn, hard-headed and silly at times but he has always been there for me, for us, and he will be for you." Hanabi said as she hugged Blanc tight, "You don't need to be nervous, we will not push you away, we will hold on to you and we will not let go." It had taken her awhile to accept other Sekirei at Naruto's side, but now that she had she would not let them go.

Naruto reached out and pulled his newest Sekirei into his embrace, "I could not have put it any better myself. You're a part of me now. And I will keep you here, at my side, for as long as you so desire. If you need to laugh, or cry, or scream and rage, I will be here for you. I will take and accept everything you have to give, everything you have to offer, and offer everything I can in return. I want you by my side." He said and kissed her soundly.

Tears relief and joy began to leak from Blanc's eyes as her wings erupted from her back and gently wrapped around Hanabi, Akitsu and Yume.

"I…" Blanc started but she didn't know what to say. How could she express what she was feeling? She felt like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, as if shackles that had long been cuffed to her wrists and ankles had been unlocked.

She felt so… free.

Now, more than anything, she wanted to be one with her Ashikabi. To be one with the man that had accepted her and the women that had embraced her so whole heartedly.

"My Ashikabi, I want you to accept everything that I have to give." Blanc said as she took Naruto into her. She was so overwhelmed by the support and acceptance of those around her she never noticed the pain.

"And I will accept it all and give back everything I can as well." Naruto said as he began to gently move inside her.

"Don't forget about us! We will share our love as well!" Yume said as her hands began to wander across Blanc's body. Two more pairs of hands soon joined hers.

"Looks like you'll have to accept all four of us at the same time." Naruto said as he began to pick up speed.

Blanc didn't mind. For the first time in her life she was wanted. She would accept everything.

By the time they had finished working her over she had lost count how many times the four of them brought her over the edge or how many times her Ashikabi had filled her with his love.

**x~X~x**

After leaving a satisfy Blanc behind Naruto and Yume walked hand-in-hand to the far side of the pool.

"So it's my turn now." Yume said softly as she smiled over at her Ashikabi. She stopped by one of the boulders that sat at the edge of the pool. She leaned against the boulder and slid into the water, dragging Naruto down with her.

Naruto quickly settled himself into a kneeling position between Yume's legs and returned her smile, "The other two-."

Yume placed a couple fingers on his lips and stopped him, "It's alright, I understand." She said as she trailed her fingers across his face and tangled them up in his hair. "Today is Akitsu's big day and Blanc…" Yume trailed off and brought their faces together. Wings erupted from Yume's back as the two deepened their passionate kiss. "I'm more envious of Hanabi than those two actually." Yume said mischievously as she pulled her lips away. She'd gladly go last if it meant she had Naruto for the majority of the time.

Naruto grinned back, "Don't be, there's more than enough of me to go around to make you all 'very' satisfied." He murmured as moved in for another kiss.

The two embraced each other tightly in the midst of their passionate kiss. Yume wrapped her legs around her Ashikabi and tightened even more, as if she never wanted to let go of him.

Naruto's fingers left of trail of tingling pleasure as they traced delicate symbols and words across her skin. Her body trembled in anticipation as they wandered their way across her thighs and into her warmth.

"Oh Naruto-kun." Yume gasped out.

"I didn't give you the proper attention you deserved the first time Yume." Naruto whispered softly into her ear. His fingers slid inside her and began to work their magic, "I never make the same mistake twice."

Streaks of pleasure shot through her body as Naruto's chakra enhanced fingers found all the right spots. Yume could feel his fingers caressing her, kneading her, filling her. It wasn't enough, even as he brought her over the edge she ached for more.

"It's been a tough road we've travelled so far." Naruto slowly pulled his fingers out from her, "I didn't know what a Sekirei or an Ashikabi even was when we first started down this path together, you and I and..." Naruto smiled sadly at her, "I promise you I will make you happy." For our sake and for her sake.

Yume beamed a beautiful smile at him, "Oh Naruto-kun, you already do." She said as she used his shoulders as support to lift her waist, "I had given up hope of ever knowing joy and pleasure and happiness. I had existed only to ensure that others felt it in my stead." She slowly lowered herself onto him. A satisfied sigh escaped from her lips as a warmth spread throughout her body. He filled her completely. "But you refused to give up on me and although the path we have taken is different than the one we may have wished." Yume gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "I am happy."

Naruto's smile lit up and became genuine, "Yume." He said as he began to move inside her, "I promise I will continue to make you happy from now on as well."

Yume's back arched and her eyes closed as the pleasant feeling swept through her body, "I know you will, and Naruto-kun?"

"Hmm?"

Yume opened her eyes and grinned at him mischievously again, "You don't have to be as gentle with me as you were with Akitsu and Blanc."

Naruto's smile turned into a grin. "Alright, if that's how you want it." Oh he would try his best to make her regret saying that as his slow love making became anything but.

Or perhaps not as Yume cried out in pleasure and began to thrust back just as fiercely. Her fingers dug into his back as she captured his lips in a deep and passionate kiss. Naruto had a feeling that Yume would teach 'him' a few things before their love making session was over.

**x~X~x**

_Did you…_ Naruto started to ask his old friend

_It's already been done._ Kurama replied. _And congratulations on living every perverts dream._

_Thank you._ He wasn't quite sure whether or not he should be relieved or offended. Anyways it was a relief that Akitsu was safely connected with Kurama. He had meant to ask earlier but he had been rather pre-occupied.

Still it had been a very enjoyable afternoon and evening.

"I was right, none of them wanted dinner." Naruto said with a hint of satisfaction as he gazed over at his three Sekirei. They were side by side with Akitsu in the middle. They had their arms wrapped around each other and Yume had a hand resting gently on Akitsu's stomach. All three of them were asleep, completely exhausted from the day's events.

"I'm not particularly surprised." Hanabi said as she shifted slightly. Slivers of pleasure rolled through her body as Naruto shifted inside her as well. Even after eight hours her Naruto-kun was still as energetic and ready as he had been at the start. Night had fallen now but it was a warm night and neither of them was in any particular mood to retire to the suite just yet.

"I'm surprised Blanc lasted the longest." Naruto said as he eyed his newest Sekirei, it had taken him six hours to exhaust her. "I thought it would be Yume for sure. Despite that small frame of hers she really has some stamina and once we broke down those barriers…"

Hanabi laughed and hugged him tightly, "I think she may end up being the most demanding of us."

"Then I'll just have to accommodate her whenever I can."

"Don't spoil her too much." Hanabi said playfully.

He chuckled and kissed her soundly, "I won't."

"Hey, Naruto-kun?" Hanabi asked softly. She had become serious all of a sudden.

"Yes?"

"It's well…" Hanabi bit her lip and then placed a hand on her shoulder. Much like Naruto she had a seal there to hold valuables. With a light flare of chakra she brought forth a small padded box. "I don't want to be you fiancée anymore…" Naruto's heart almost stopped until she opened the box, "I'd rather be your wife." Inside were two gold rings with seals engraved upon them.

"I want you as my wife as well but-." He was stopped as Hanabi placed a finger on his lips.

"I know what I said before but things have changed." Naruto looked at her curiously; surely their situation hadn't changed that much since a few months ago. "I know I told you that the agreement and the ceremony are both key elements for a Hyuga heiress to be married. Well I know of no stronger agreement than the bond we now share as Ashikabi and Sekirei and the ceremony can be substituted for something else."

"What can it be substituted for?" This was good news to him. The only reason they hadn't gone ahead and made the union between them official since arriving here in Shinto Teito was because of Hanabi's desire to stick to Hyuga tradition. It was all she had left of her family.

Hanabi leaned back and placed a hand over her stomach, "A child."

It was considered disgraceful for any Hyuga to bear a child outside of wedlock, even more so if it was the heiress. Strict rules were put in place to ensure that a child was not conceived but on the off chance that one was, such as through rape or extenuating circumstances, there were extra rules put in place. To ensure that the child was not born out of wedlock a marriage could be expedited and the ceremony done at a later date.

Naruto's eyes widened in realization, "Hanabi are you…"

She smiled at Naruto, "Yes, I was sick this morning and when I looked at my stomach to see why." She looked down at her stomach and rubbed it gently, "Looks like that first night we were together was more special than we had thought."

He stared at Hanabi emotionally. With a cry he embraced her and buried his face into the crook of her neck. Hanabi wrapped her arms around him and gently rubbed his back. She knew how much this meant to him. He had been raised with no parents and had no siblings. What family he did have were forged through bonds with people unrelated to him.

To finally have a real, true family. To have someone related to him by blood that he could hold, touch and feel.

There was nothing Naruto desired more than that.

Yume cracked an eye open and gazed across the pool to Naruto. She smiled softly at the scene. _You've made us all happy Naruto-kun, now it's our turn to make you happy_. Yume sent all the love she could through the bond to her Naruto-kun.

Naruto wiped his eyes on Hanabi's shoulders and raised them to gaze into hers. His eyes were filled with emotion, "Hanabi I love you."

"I love you too Naruto-kun." She said and kissed him soundly. She pulled away after a moment and brought the box with the rings up. "How about we complete this."

Naruto smiled as he reached into the small box and pulled out one of the small rings. Hanabi picked up the other and tossed the box aside. They were Hyuga family heirlooms. They were the same rings Hanabi's mother and father had worn, the same rings her grandparents had worn and all their ancestors back since the start of the Hyuga clan. The seals were designed to re-size the ring perfectly to whatever finger it was on.

Naruto removed Hanabi's engagement ring and placed the wedding ring on her finger. "I will be your husband now and forever." He whispered.

Hanabi placed the second wedding ring on Naruto's ring finger, "I will be you wife, from now on and for all eternity, forever and ever."

"We'll be together as Husband and Wife." Naruto smiled brilliantly at her and he hugged her tightly.

Hanabi's smile was just as radiant, "As Husband and Wife."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I think after the roller-coaster ride I have taken you all on so far that we all need at least one feel-good chapter with no cliff-hanger, just pure relaxation. I hope this chapter managed to do that for you.

I don't know if I managed to accomplish what I set out to do with the hot springs. It was not meant to be a mindless orgy. It was meant to have meaning, to have feeling. It was meant to emphasise that at last, Akitsu has been winged and how much it truly meant to her to have her one true dream finally fulfilled. It was meant to show that Blanc had finally found acceptance after being forgotten and ignored by Hayato for so long. It was meant to portray how Naruto had finally well and truly made good on his word and gave Yume the happiness she had always wanted. And finally it was meant to deepen the relationship between Hanabi and Naruto as they take their relationship to the next level of commitment. I didn't even write a sex scene for Hanabi and Naruto because I already made one chapters ago.

I hoped I was able to convey that properly. Some may think the scene wasn't explicit enough; some may think it was too much. In my opinion, the sex wasn't the point of that scene in the first place. It was merely the tool I chose to use to emphasise the points I wanted to get across and I only used that particular tool because of how hyper-sexualized Sekirei is in general.

Were the clones used to make the Sekirei deliriously happy? That's up to you. I left them out on purpose. I mentioned them several times before to give rise to possibilities but didn't mention them during because I deliberately wanted to leave it open ended. What happened off the screen, outside of what I described… well that's whatever 'you' want it to be. Maybe Naruto just inscribed a Hiraishin seal on the stomach of each of the girls and teleported between all four rapidly and essentially did all four at the exact same time. Like I said, it's up to you, be imaginative.

On a different note I hope no Blanc/White Heart fanatics read this story otherwise they may try to kill me for 'defiling' Blanc so to speak ^_^. *runs away and hides in a bunker*

As for Hanabi's pregnancy… It's not going to be a prominent feature in my story. Since it's her first she won't show a bulge until 4-5 months in. That may very well be enough time for me to wrap everything up. I won't be writing things such as mood swings, eating habits, etc., while it would be realistic to do so, I'm not sure if it would write very well into my story. This story isn't about Hanabi dealing with a pregnancy, that's just a side thing, a feel good aspect of the story. That's not to say the baby will be forgotten, just the little side things that come with a pregnancy won't be featured.


	21. Chapter 20: Origin

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: Now that that Hayato Arc is officially over there is going to be a significant time jump before the start of the next. There are several scenes I've written that occur during that time span and they're in this chapter so sorry if this chapter feels very fragmented.**

**On an awesome note, at least I think so anyways, this story has hit multiple milestones these past couple chapters: 1,000 Followers, 1,000 Favorites and 1,000 Reviews. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this! Even all the flamers and trolls whom without their contributions I wouldn't have hit 1,000 Reviews this quickly. ^_^**

**I think this is my second largest chapter to date, I didn't even intend on making it this big. I just kept adding things to it to further flesh out and develop scenes in it and suddenly it's 16k+ words... I even took a scene out and moved it to the next chapter. Ah well, hope you enjoy it and I hope the grammar isn't too bad. I find myself spending more and more time on making sure the pieces all fit together and less time on making sure the grammar is correct.  
**

**Review Responses:** A few people noticed Ayesha missing? You weren't supposed to see that. *gets all shifty eyed* Anyways she just wanted to get some things from the nearby grocery store for tea and got lost along the way. She'll meander her way back eventually…

**Chapter 20: Origin**

Naruto peaked around the corner of the Inn, his eyes dancing furtively across the back yard.

He could see Yume there, watering the plants near the fence. It was one of the tasks Miya had her take over for the landlady. Yume didn't mind it too much, it got her outside and she enjoyed nature. The hose she used to spray the plants snaked across the grass and ran just past his feet before it turned the corner and connected to the water facet on the side of the house.

A quick glance at the veranda showed Minato sitting on it with little Kusano beside him. They both seemed to be enjoying the scene occurring in the yard before them.

Little Kusano looked like she shadow boxing, albeit in a very cute manner as she imitated or perhaps tried to give suggestions to the others. Minato just looked on with a trail of blood dripping down his face.

Said scene was what Minato's other three Sekirei were doing. Tsukiumi, Matsu and Kaho were all wearing small two-piece bikinis and appeared to be wrestling with each other, in mud. From the looks of it they had used Tsukiumi's powers to turn a part of the yard into a giant mud pit and now the three wrestling for the last spot beside Minato-san tonight at dinner. One of the spots was always designated as Kusano's. Still Naruto couldn't believe Miya had actually consented to this, not that he was complaining at the moment. Like Minato he could appreciate a good mud wrestle.

Naruto idly wondered if he could get his own Sekirei to do something like that for him, and if he was allowed to join in at the same time. Watching was all well and fun but if you were part of the action, well, hands did have a tendency to end up in interesting places.

As if to confirm Naruto's thoughts Kaho's hands slipped under Matsu's bikini top as the Sekirei tried to grapple her. The two wrestled for a moment before they both slipped in the mud and fell on their backs. Matsu's top went flying, as did the rest of the blood from Minato's nose.

The last person of interest was Uzume; she was on the roof of the Inn eating a cookie as she gazed at the clouds floating by. She looked very content and peaceful being up there. Too bad that was all about to change.

After all it had been at least a few hours since he had last initiated a good prank, he needed to keep his skills sharp.

Naruto stretched his senses to see if he could locate the few people he couldn't see. He could feel Hanabi and Blanc in his room, the former was taking a nap while the latter was reading a book, and he knew that because he had just left there. Akitsu appeared to be gone, probably on an errand for Miya, and the landlady herself was on the opposite end of the house making her way over here.

Naruto grinned mischievously; he had to do this now if he wanted to pull it off perfectly. Everything was in place.

With a twitch of his fingers he used his chakra to manipulate the wind around him. He sent it swirling up to the rooftop and loosened a few of the tiles at the edge of the roof down from Uzume. As the tile became loose it slid off the rooftop and started a chain reaction. All the other tiles up from it began to slide down as well.

"W-What the!" Uzume shouted in surprise as she jumped up and off the roof. She watched as the tiles slid off the rooftop and fell to the ground with a clatter. Uzume's shout and the noise from the falling tiles drew everyone's attention. Even Yume turned to look and that was critical.

So far everything was going perfectly. With everyone's attention on the tiles and Uzume no one could see his next few actions.

He manipulated the wind once more and caused a strong breeze to pick up. Uzume yelped as she was pushed off her trajectory and fell dead smack into the middle of the mud pit. Mud splashed all over her as she landed with a solid thump.

Naruto wasn't done yet. He reached down and touched the hose that went past his foot. He pushed his chakra into the hose and carefully manipulated it. All of a sudden the water that had been pouring out of Yume's nozzle changed directions and immediately sprayed into the mud pit, specifically all over Uzume.

She shouted in surprise again as she suddenly became completely drenched in mud and water. Everything was going perfectly. The Prank Lord still had the magic touch.

"Oh Kami, I'm sorry Uzume-san! I don't know what just happened there." Yume said apologetically as she quickly kinked the hose to stop the water from coming out.

Yume became suspicious and her eyes trailed along the hose as she tried to find the source of the trouble. Naruto quickly transformed into a potted plant so that no one would figure out that it was him that had done those things. Yume stared at the Naruto in his transformed state and sighed in exasperation.

A sweat drop rolled down the stem of the plant.

"Na-ru-to-san." The potted plant stiffened and pretended to play dead as a new voice floated around the side of the house. Miya walked up to the plant and glared down at him disapprovingly. "Harassing the other residents of Izumo Inn is strictly prohibited." Miya said as a dark mask appeared over her shoulders.

The potted plant began to quake as more sweat drops worked their way down the stem and off the leaves.

Miya reached down and grabbed the potted plant by the stem near the dirt and easily lifted it up. The entire thing came up as one unit. "I think we need to have a little chat Naruto-san about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour here." Miya said as she carted the potted plant back around the side of the house.

Naruto had been rather active these past few days. Ever since the hot springs he had been going on a prank spree. There hadn't been a single individual he had failed to prank, Hanabi, Kusano and Miya excluded of course. There was no way he was going to prank Hanabi, especially since she was pregnant, and Kusano was self-explanatory. He drew a line at pregnant women and children. Maybe in a few years he'd include Kusano but for now she had immunity.

"Now, Naruto-san, there are some ground rules I need to lay out here for you." Miya said as she stared at the potted plant. While she hadn't been targeted there had been a lot of fallout due to Naruto's pranks. Unfortunately thus far it had been all but impossible to pin anything on him. He was just too good at it. This was the first time she had caught him in the act.

The potted plant bowed its stem a couple times.

"And undo the transformation." It would look very odd if someone came around and saw her lecturing a plant.

"Miya-san?" Uzume called out as she rounded the corner. Miya turned to regard Uzume. Naruto took this opportunity to undo the transformation and returned back to his normal form, "I need to get Naruto back for-." She blinked in surprise at the scene before her, "Is this a bad time?" Uzume asked cautiously as she eyed Miya's arm.

Miya suddenly had a bad feeling as she glanced back at Naruto. That's when she realized that something was very wrong. She didn't know how Naruto's transformations worked so she hadn't been aware of just what it had been she was grabbing when she carried him around the house.

Now she did as her gaze followed her arm downwards and into his pants. That was not his leg she was gripping tightly.

Her eyes whipped up to meet his gaze. Naruto had the saddest look on his face she had ever seen. His eyes had turned into giant teary-eyed pools. "Miya-chan, it hurts." Naruto whimpered painfully and the tears began to slide down his cheeks.

Miya ripped her hand from Naruto's pants as if she had just been scalded. She took a couple steps back and held her wrist with her other hand. She looked completely mortified. "Naruto-san I-I…" That was the first time Naruto had ever seen Miya at a loss for words.

Apparently it was the first time for her as well since she had no idea what to do. Instead she simply clamped her mouth shut and fled. Her face was completely flushed with embarrassment.

Once Miya was gone Naruto turned to Uzume and flashed a grin and a thumbs up. Uzume returned the gesture and grinned just as widely.

A-Rank Mission: Pranking Miya-chan – Completed  
S-Rank Mission: Pranking Izumo Inn – Completed

They were self-assigned missions but it helped when he had a clear goal to accomplish. There was a hint of nostalgia associated with it as well. Back during his first year as Hokage he made sure to do this on occasion. Nothing helped relieve stress better than a hearty laugh.

And watching an ANBU captain stomp towards the Hokage Tower fuming while wearing a fluorescent pink uniform with streamers attached to the wrists and ankles was always good for a laugh.

However unlike back in Konoha it had actually been moderately difficult to prank some of the people at Izumo Inn. Yume had been particularly difficult. Homura as well had been difficult, although that was on account of him never being around.

He did need to sit down and talk with Akitsu though. She seemed to have taken his prank to heart. She didn't need to wear all that bondage leather all the time, that was meant to be a joke. Miya had not been impressed when she had found Akitsu asking him which toy he preferred.

"Oh damn bro that was awesome. I've never seen Miya look like that before." Uzume practically crowed as she walked up to the blonde Shinobi.

"We make a good team, eh?" Naruto replied.

What Miya didn't realize was that half the pranks the past couple days had been tag teams between him and Uzume. Uzume had been his first target. Once she realized what he was up to, and got over her annoyance of falling for it, she had been eager to help. Naruto wanted to get everyone and Miya was their last target.

Miya had been uptight and tense ever since he had gotten hurt and he felt she needed to lighten up a bit, even if it was simply occupying her mind with something else entirely.

Of course Naruto had to compensate Uzume for drenching her in water and mud but that was a small price to pay for the priceless expression on Miya's face.

"We do, but you still owe me bro. There are these outfits I wish to get for Chiho that I haven't been able to afford." Uzume replied with a grin. Her MBI card was virtually useless ever since she helped Matsu escape from MBI with the Jinki. They had seriously curtailed her ability to use their card. She had just enough support to live, and very little for extras.

"Not a problem, anything for you Uzume. You just might want to get cleaned up before we go. As much as I love to see through your clothing I don't think it's particularly appropriate for public." Naruto said as he stared at Uzume's chest. She wasn't wearing a bra so he could definitely see some rather defined outlines.

Uzume laughed and headed to her room. She had long since stopped caring if Naruto ogled her. She was certain she'd have let him wing her by now if she didn't already have Chiho.

**x~X~x**

"Thank you Hanabi-chan." Chiho said as she accepted the canned drink from Hanabi. The drink was one of the various varieties of milk coffee from the vending machines at the entrance. She opened it and took a sip. A soft sigh of content escaped her lips as she tasted the savory beverage. It had been a long time since she had last had coffee.

Normally patients weren't allowed to have them, on account of the caffeine conflicting with their medications, but Hanabi had snuck one in for her. She was also not one of the standard patients. Her medication was specially made for her and didn't have any of the normal complications; she just wasn't capable of walking to the machines to buy the drinks herself and most of the Hospital staff was unaware of what medication she was on and simply denied her access regardless.

"No problem Chiho." Hanabi said as she flashed her friend a smile. She opened her own drink and sat in the chair beside her.

"So… can I see it?" Chiho asked excitedly as she eyed Hanabi's hand.

"Sure." Hanabi said as she held her hand out to her friend. Chiho eagerly grasped it and began to eye the ring on her finger.

"Wow, it's beautiful. How many diamonds are in it?" Chiho asked curiously as she eyed the ring. It had a very curious shape to it.

"Just one." Hanabi said. Chiho's eyes widened in surprise. "The ring was custom made; the diamond was carefully cut and shaped to the inset in the ring."

"That's amazing, that must have cost a lot." She said in wonder as she eyed the diamond. Where most diamonds were cut simplistically and numerous diamonds were patterned together to create shapes this singular diamond was moulded and shaped. It dipped and curved, crested and turned as it formed a symbol of some sort.

"Not as much as you might think." Hanabi said with a tinge of amusement in her voice. She couldn't tell Chiho that chakra had been used to manipulate it into the current shape, the shape of the Hyuga clan symbol. She wouldn't understand any of it. "The ring is a family heirloom; we had close ties with… individuals that could shape precious gems easily."

"Oh wow, you're so lucky. So what's it like to be married now?" Chiho asked. It was obvious who her husband was; she didn't even need to ask.

Hanabi laughed at her friend's exuberance, "That part feels no different than how it was. This was really just officialising how we already lived." She said with a big smile on her face. She glanced at her stomach and rubbed it, "It's our child that's really changed how the whole relationship feels."

"Oh my goodness! You're pregnant?" Chiho asked as she stared intently at Hanabi's stomach. Her hands twitched as if she wanted to press her hands against Hanabi's stomach, even if there was no visible sign of pregnancy.

"Yes, I'm still in the early stages, nothing will show for a few more months." Which meant her combat effectiveness shouldn't decrease noticeably until then. Hanabi hoped this 'Sekirei Plan' was over and done with by then otherwise she'd have to sit out while Naruto carried everything on his shoulder.

"When I get better I'm going to marry Uzume-chan as well!" Chiho declared fiercely.

"I'm sure she'd love that."

"And I'll get her pregnant too!" Hanabi coughed and spluttered as her drink went down the wrong tube. "Are you alright Hanabi-chan?" Chiho asked in concern as she watched her friend coughed into her hand.

"You're both women though." Hanabi coughed out as she cleared the rest of the drink from her throat. "Do you mean adoption?"

"Umm, well, there is something call in vitro fertilization where Uzume can get her egg fertilized outside of the body and then have it transferred back inside when she's at the right time of month." Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she explained the process.

"So you basically let some random guy be the actual father?" Hanabi asked incredulously. It was an unthinkable act for Hanabi. She could never settle with carrying the child of some random man.

"Well I wasn't really thinking of just any 'random' man." Chiho said quietly.

"Oh, you have someone in mind?" Hanabi asked curiously.

Before Chiho could respond there was a commotion outside there room. It sounded like Uzume and Naruto. Hanabi watched as Chiho's face grew increasingly red and flushed.

"Him?" Hanabi asked in surprise. Although now that she thought about it she really shouldn't be. It was obvious to her that Chiho had a crush on Naruto. She loved Uzume-chan, but there was definitely a small flame there for Naruto as well.

"I don't have any other male friends." Chiho said sadly.

"Ah, no I'm just surprised. He's a wonderful choice." Hanabi said as she did her best to comfort her friend.

The commotion became louder and the two glanced over at the door just as Uzume walked in. They both just stared in surprise at her outfit.

She was wearing a skin tight full body latex suit. The entire suit was blue except for a pair of calf high red boots, a red pair of latex underwear worn outside the suit, a red cape, and a red S on the center of her chest.

"Don't be such a baby." Uzume said as she reached outside and grabbed something.

"But this is so embarrassing." They heard Naruto's voice drift in from outside the room.

"Oh stop! You enjoyed it so much when I tried it on in the store bro that I thought you wanted it. Now stop being a baby and get in here." Uzume said as she tugged on Naruto.

Chiho and Hanabi could only stare on in abject shock as their jaws dropped to the floor. While Uzume's outfit was ridiculous, Naruto's was even more so. He was wearing what looked like a one-piece latex bathing suit that stopped just high enough to cup his pectorals. The top of the one-piece was red with gold cups and the bottom was blue with white stars. He wore a pair of calf-high red boots with a yellow stripe going down the middle and the entire ensemble was topped with a yellow circlet with a red star in the center.

"Naruto-kun! What are you WEARING?" Hanabi asked in total dismay and bewilderment.

"Ah? I'm cosplaying Wonder Woman? Ahaha…" Naruto said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

Hanabi turned and gripped Chiho's shoulders tightly. "Are you certain about this? I retract my earlier statement about him being a wonderful choice." She said seriously.

Chiho just collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"You know, seeing that almost makes this all worthwhile, almost." Naruto said with a grin as he watched Chiho get consumed by laughter.

"Almost?! Come on bro, how can that not be worth it?" Uzume flashed him a grin as she pointed at Chiho. The girl was laughing almost uncontrollably now despite Hanabi's attempts, or perhaps because of them, to calm her down.

"Heh, alright I'll concede this time." Naruto said as he fondly gazed at the still giggling Chiho.

**x~X~x**

Blanc was happier now than she had ever been before in her life. It had only been a week since she had been wholeheartedly accepted by her Ashikabi and all his Sekirei. This was what she had always envisioned being with an Ashikabi would be like. No longer was the bond simply a bundle of emotions sitting in the back of her mind. It was now warmth that calmed her heart, healed her soul and filled her with renewed life.

However there was an issue that she wanted to deal with quickly before it got out of hand. She hadn't realized her Ashikabi had gone ahead and done this to her until she had checked herself out in the mirror this morning.

It was nice of him to go ahead and do it but he could have at least asked her if she still wanted it.

"Naruto!" Blanc called out as she entered his, no their, room in Izumo Inn. It was starting to get a little crowded in there with the four of them but they had managed to sort things out, with encouragement from Miya.

They took turns now sharing him. Only two were allowed in his bed at any time. Blanc felt it was a little unfair that his right side was always occupied by Hanabi but she didn't voice her complaint. She was just happy to be accepted. Yume had been quick to voice her agreement to the arrangements. Yume seemed to know something neither she nor Akitsu was aware of.

"Yes Blanc?" Naruto asked as he looked up from the desk where he was working. He took in Blanc's slightly annoyed expression and turned his full attention to her. Blanc was currently the only one of his Sekirei here at Izumo Inn. Yume was out shopping with Miya and Akitsu was getting familiar with her newfound control over her power.

By freezing the large river that marked the northern boundary of Shinto Teito.

Hanabi was visiting with Chiho again. Naruto was glad that she had found a friend. Hanabi had never had the time or luxury back in the Elemental Nations to have any. Her every waking moment after Konoha had been destroyed had been focused on getting stronger. Chiho was probably her first real friend. Yume, Akitsu and Blanc were more of a mixture between comrades and sisters than actual friends.

He had time to set his work aside for his Sekirei. They always took priority, although he had made quite a bit of progress in various areas. His clones had just finished with his father's jutsu. He was now able to make it as small and compact as his father once could and he could flash between points in the blink of an eye. The only issue he still had to work out was the speed at which he could apply seals. He also lacked his father's special kunai, or the ability to make them. He wasn't a blacksmith and he doubted anyone in Shinto Teito would have the necessary means to make them properly. However it could still be of use. All he would need is to lay a single hand, foot, or limb on an opponent and he could attach a seal to them. Then there wasn't any place in the world they could run to that could get them away from him.

Of course that was why he needed to work on the speed of application. It still took an entire second for him to fully apply the seal. That wasn't quick enough to be of any use unless he actually grappled the opponent.

It still had uses as he could place seals on landmarks and use them as jump points but he would never reach his father's level with the technique without those special kunai.

Blanc slowly made her way over to her Ashikabi. When she reached him she turned around and knelt on the floor beside his chair, "Stop making my breasts grow." She said calmly. Naruto had been right; the growth had been gradual enough she hadn't noticed right away but fast enough that she would be able to see results soon. Already her breasts were twice the size they once were.

Although that wasn't saying much as she had only gone from a 73 to a 77. She still wasn't even a B-cup.

"I thought you wanted larger breasts." Naruto asked softly as he placed a hand on her crest.

"I did. But if you're happy with what I have to offer then I see no reason to change." Blanc said as she gently cupped her chest. The reasons for wanting to have an increased bust size seemed silly to her now that Naruto had accepted her completely.

"Alright, to be honest I'm kind of glad you decided to stay small." Naruto said as he sent a command through the seal to halt Blanc's growth.

"Why is that?" Blanc asked as she felt a gentle heat spread through her body.

"Because the growth affected more than just your breasts." Naruto said with a grin, "You're about three inches taller now than you were." He didn't know how to focus on just a single area of growth. All he had really done was change her hormonal levels back to the way they had been during puberty and let nature take its course.

"I'm what!" Blanc shouted in surprise as she jumped to her feet. She started feeling her body for the physical changes Naruto had mentioned, "If I lost my cute adorable look I'll…!"

Naruto quickly raised his hands in defence, "No, no I would never risk something like that. You're barely five feet now. It was a side effect of growing your breasts. I can't target specific body parts; I just had to make your body think it was going through another growth spurt."

Blanc glared at Naruto for a moment before she sighed, "Fine, just don't do it again. I like my height." She had noticed that her axe had seemed a bit smaller than before but she had just assumed it was an optical illusion of some sort.

Naruto's head jerked suddenly as some memories returned to him from a clone. "Wow, that's… interesting."

"Memories from another clone?" Blanc asked curiously. She had been filled in on most of Naruto's abilities in the past five days. She knew as much as Yume and Akitsu did.

Naruto nodded, "Yes, it was the one I sent to look for Mitsuki. She seemed to have made it out of the south before the fighting really picked up. She's staying in an apartment in the west using her old MBI card."

"What happened?"

Naruto gave Blanc a speculative look, "It may be better to show you." He said as he left the desk and kneeled down before his Sekirei.

"How?"

"Just sit still and I'll take care of everything." Naruto said as he traced some seals on Blanc's forehead. After he finished with her he traced similar seals on his own. He placed his forehead against her and matched the two seals together. Blanc flushed slightly at the close proximity. "These seals will allow me to share with you some of my memories."

"Oh." That was actually kind of interesting.

Naruto placed his hands to either side of Blanc's head and channeled his chakra into the seal.

Space seemed to distort and her vision swam as it seemed her consciousness was sucked away by something.

"Uh oh." Naruto said as he too felt his consciousness sucked away.

After several moments of dizzying vertigo everything came back into focus. He found himself sitting on a grassy hill with a brilliant blue sky above him. There was nothing but rolling hills in every direction.

Nothing but two things that is.

"Damnit what the hell was that." Blanc asked slightly annoyed as she sat up beside Naruto. Her head was still spinning from that strange trip she had taken.

"That… was not supposed to happen." Naruto said as he slowly stood up and brushed some of the grass and dirt from his pants.

Blanc glared at Naruto, "What do you mean that was not supposed to…" She trailed off as her head tilted upwards and her eyes got bigger and bigger. She was struck speechless by the sight before her.

"The spunky one is here. How interesting." Kurama said as he looked down on Blanc and Naruto.

"Well this wasn't quite how I had envisioned the introduction to go." Naruto said as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "Blanc, I'd like you to meet Kurama. He's a friend that's been stuck inside my stomach, and my head, since the day I was born. Kurama I'd like you to meet Blanc."

"Can I eat her?" Kurama asked.

Blanc's eyes widened in horror and she quickly darted behind Naruto. Normally she'd have reached for her axe and asked questions later but she wasn't going to tangle with a two-hundred foot fox with nine massive tails waving behind him with a maw large enough to swallow her whole, ten times over.

Kurama started to laugh as Naruto glared at him in mock anger, "Kurama! Don't tease my Sekirei like that!" Naruto chastised his furry friend.

"There's so little to do in here I need to enjoy these moments as much as I can." Kurama said with another throaty laugh, "So what brings you here this time." Asked as he brought his head low.

"I wasn't trying to come here; I just wanted to share with Blanc some of my memories."

"And you tried one of your old seals that hadn't taken into account the spiritual and mental connection you share with your Sekirei." Kurama concluded.

"Well yes… damn." Maybe he should have redone the seal to take into account extenuating circumstances. This particular seal was based off the Yamanaka clan techniques. Ino had been a great help in its development. He hadn't any reason to use it since his time in the Elemental Nations.

When Blanc realized that Kurama had tricked her just so he could have a laugh she snapped. Her eyes went pure red as anger erupted from her. "You bastard!" Blanc shouted as she rushed forward and hit Kurama in the nose. With a yelp Kurama was knocked off his feet and thrown several hundred yards back.

"Holy shit!" Naruto stared in surprise. She had just knocked KURAMA away with a single punch! This went WAY beyond Tsunade level strength. What the hell was she eating?

Kurama laughed as he picked himself off the ground and walked back over to the two of them, "I definitely like her. She has backbone and the strength to match it."

Naruto fired his old friend an odd look. He seemed far more laid back than usual. Sure Blanc had probably done no real harm considering Kurama was an entity made out of pure chakra but the old Kurama would have been upset that anyone had even tried to hit him, let alone knock him away.

"Naruto, why do you have a giant nine-tailed fox living inside your head? And when the hell did you think it was going to be a good time to tell the REST of us?" Blanc demanded as she rounded on Naruto.

Naruto grinned sheepishly again, "Sorry Blanc. It wasn't my intention to keep it a secret. There just wasn't any good time to bring it up. Saying 'hey girls I have a 20 story-tall nine-tailed demon fox stuck inside my belly' is not a very good conversation starter."

Blanc gave her Ashikabi a flat stare for a moment and then sighed in resignation. When he put it that way he did sort of have a point.

"Still it is interesting to see the bond when you're both in here together." Kurama said as he looked more closely at the two.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed as he realized what Kurama was saying. There were two strands of energy, which in Blanc's case were pure white, that trailed away from her Sekirei crest. One of the strands stretched out from her crest ended at the white orb that represented her bond with Naruto. The other meandered its way up and connected to the orb that hovered around Kurama.

Naruto blinked in surprise as he noticed something different about Kurama's orb. It appeared to be many times larger than it was the last time he had been in here. Before it had barely been large enough to fit in the palm of Kurama's paw. Now it was larger than his head.

"What are those?" Blanc asked as she noticed for the first time the various orbs floating around her Ashikabi. Her anger at her Ashikabi fading away as her curiosity got the better of her.

"Ah! These are the mental representation of my bond with you and the others." Naruto held a hand out and the pure white orb that was attached to Blanc floated gently into his hand. "This represents our bond."

Blanc's eyes widened in wonderment as she stared at the mental manifestation of the bond she shared with her Ashikabi. Naruto gently poked the bond and a warm heat spread throughout her body.

"H-Hey stop that!" Blanc protested. That bond was precious to her and she didn't want anything to happen to it.

"Hmm I wonder." Naruto murmured as he gently caressed the orb. Blanc screamed and her legs buckled under her. Naruto jerked his hand away from the orb and quickly rushed to Blanc's side. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "What happened? Are you hurt?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"You bastard." Blanc muttered as she buried her face into his chest in embarrassment.

Naruto looked at her in confusion for a moment until he noticed a distinct smell, and more importantly, a small puddle forming between Blanc's legs.

"Oh… I… wow I guess you're pretty sensitive there." Naruto said as he realized what it was he had done to her. That wasn't a cry of pain of pain at all; it had been a cry of ecstasy. He had sent her over the edge with a simple caress.

"As amusing as it is to see you drown your Sekirei in pleasure with a simple touch you did come here for a reason did you not?" Kurama asked Naruto.

"Oh that's right." Naruto said as Kurama brought them back on track.

While they had taken a rather round-about way to get here since they were both technically in his mind this could work just as well as the other way. The other way would basically have her experience the images his clone had as if they were her own, this way was a little more impersonal but safer if the clone had disturbing memories.

The horizon shifted and a large rectangular section changed from the picturesque rolling hills and blue sky to an image of Shinto Teito. It was as if the memories of his clone were projected onto the horizon and blocked out the background.

"That's impressive." Blanc murmured as she shifted around in Naruto's arms. The two settled so that Blanc was nestled between Naruto's legs with her back against his chest. His arms were wrapped loosely around her waist and her hands were placed over his. She laid her head back against his chest and began to watch the scenes unfold.

The clone swung down from the rooftop and onto the balcony of the apartment. Mitsuki and the clone she had bound herself to had taken up residence in an apartment at the far western edge of Shinto Teito. It wasn't a very tall complex, it only had five stories, but it was not bad. They had obviously gone for quality over quantity. With the MBI card that Mitsuki had she was more than capable of affording the place.

The clone peered into the balcony window and took stock of the place. He was peering into the master bedroom from the looks of it. The room was kept rather nice and tidy. Mitsuki hadn't been one to make large messes even when she had been Hayato's Sekirei so that came as no surprise to the clone.

Mitsuki herself was asleep with her face buried into her pillow on top of the covers. Judging by the time of day she was probably taking a mid-afternoon nap. She was in her standard clothes that MBI had made for her like usual. Her yellow and black dress had hiked up her back and exposed her black panties. The clone mused it probably occurred when she just flopped on the bed without a care.

There was nothing to be gained here so the clone quickly shimmied across the side of the building. The complex Mitsuki had was a corner one which meant she was lucky enough to have two balconies. When he went around the side of the building he quickly spotted the second balcony and jumped to it.

This one looked into the living room. It was the standard affair with the usual couches, tables, lamps, plants and a TV on a TV stand. The TV was currently turned to a news channel. There were news crews at a scene of a major battle in southern Shinto Teito. Many people tried to get close enough to film the wreckage properly. The attack on Shinto Teito was the talk of the nation and this was the site of the one of the key battles. There was even a cute girl with short brown hair, green eyes, wearing a very interesting floral patterned knee-length dress that had sections of purple, pink and white, searching through the wreckage of the vehicles.

What wasn't the usual affair was the small puppy sitting on his ass with his legs kicked out in front of him like a human. His front paws were resting lightly on the remote control that he had between his legs.

If it had been anyone else who didn't know who or what that dog really was it would have been an incredibly surreal sight. As it was the clone just sighed and added it to the long list of weird shit that Naruto had been seen over the course of his life.

The clone knocked lightly on the glass door. The puppy looked over at him and tilted his head cutely. A moment later a light bulb appeared to click inside his head. He got up on his hind legs and jumped to the ground. He hobbled over to the door and continued up the inside of the glass door until he reached he latch. The Dog ANBU bit into the latch and used his paws to turn it to unlock the door.

The clone opened the door as the Dog ANBU back flipped off the side of the glass door.

The dog meandered out onto the balcony with the clone. The disguised ANBU rested his back against the side of the balcony wall, crossed his hind legs and folded his front paws across his chest.

"That was a rather tense situation that went down after the operation." The Dog ANBU said. The clone was certain that had it been anyone else in his position they'd be checking to see what sorts of drugs they had done that morning.

"Definitely could have ended on a better note." The clone muttered.

The Dog ANBU snorted, "Just about any ending would have been better than what you went through." He had seen the news reports. He doubted that there were many people in Japan by now that hadn't.

"I'm not talking about the tank round; I'm talking about Miya's reaction when I got back to Izumo Inn, and what happened after the bath." The clone shuddered, "It may have been a mistake to introduce Hanabi to Miya."

"It can't be that bad." The clone gave the dog a level stare, "Alright I'll take your word for it."

"Anyways I came here to replenish your chakra." That was enough small talk. He didn't know when Mitsuki would awaken and he wanted to be gone when she did. "This'll be a-." He stopped as the saw the dog shook his head.

"Won't be needed. Apparently the Sekirei bond recognizes what I am, even if Mitsuki does not. It's sustaining both my form and my chakra." The puppy, Fluffy, explained himself. "Unfortunately so long as I'm bound to Mitsuki I can never return to my human form. All of Naruto's chakra in me is slowly being replaced by Mitsuki's. In a few weeks' time I won't be able to call myself a clone of Naruto, all I'll have of his are memories and even some of those memories have faded." The memories he was losing were the ones from before arriving in Shinto Teito. He still had most but there were definitely a few gaps that weren't there before, "The chakra sustaining me will be entirely Mitsuki's and the mental bond between me and boss will disappear. This means if I dispel he won't get my memories and I won't get the memories of any new clones he makes, already it's patchy at best and I only get the memories of every odd clone or so."

"How does that work? Mitsuki is female and the clone jutsu is based off the creator…" The clone wanted clarification.

"Yes, not surprising you figured it out as quickly as I did. The form is dictated not by the chakra in the body, but rather by the intent of the user. Boss created me as a replica of himself, I then used that chakra to transform myself into a dog. Our transformation is absolute; it's not an illusion like most shinobi use. We're not simply compressing and re-arranging our internal organs, we're actually temporarily re-writing our genetic structure to take on the form and appearance of another person or animal. Only in my case I can't reverse the process because the bond with Mitsuki is preventing it."

"So essentially you have the physical body and appearance of a puppy, the mind and emotions of a human and this is all wrapped up in a chakra construct that will be maintained for as long as the bond with Mitsuki lasts." The clone summed everything up.

Fluffy spread his paws to his sides and shrugged, "That's the way it appears to be, although it's not all bad."

"Explain."

"Mitsuki loves puppies and dogs." The former ANBU clone said.

"I already knew that."

"No, you don't understand, she LOVES dogs." Fluffy emphasised the word, "It goes WAY beyond an individual's normal desire to have a pet dog. She baths with me, she sleeps with me and she feeds me normal human food. I'm not entirely sure she has all her screws up there but she basically treats me like a human in dog form."

"Well, you are, and that's not that bad, there are many people that go that far for their pets." The clone said as he eyed the door leading into the bedroom through the glass balcony doors.

"I even overheard her on the phone the other day talking to MBI. She was asking if it was possible for them to change her body so she can bear puppies instead of human babies." The clone's mouth dropped as he stared at the Dog ANBU in abject shock. His mouth open and closed several times as he tried to process what he had just heard. "From the way she ended the call so dejectedly I don't think that's going to happen. I'm not even sure I'd even be into it if MBI could make it happen." He'd need some way to deal with his urges but he wasn't sure if Mitsuki was the proper way of dealing with it, even if she was willing. Although for someone like him, someone stuck halfway between animal and human, was there a proper way of dealing with this? It raised a lot of uncomfortable questions; thankfully he had years to come up with the answers.

The clone rubbed his temples as he let a small sigh escape from his lips, "Alright, I'll agree that that's a little excessive."

"I know eh? Anyways like I said, there's love and then there is 'love'. I don't know what's wrong with her, maybe she's adjusting to having a dog as an Ashikabi as much as I am adjusting to BEING a dog. Perhaps the bond is forcing us to sort of meet in the middle. Whatever it is this Sekirei bond really takes into account some screwed up things. It's almost as if the bond was created with the possibility that there could be some Sekirei/animal partners much like the Inuzuka clan back home."

"Why us… I swear there is someone out there deliberately messing with our lives just for kicks. I can see it now, some faceless anonymous individual just pushing random buttons as he tries to come up with the weirdest and most twisted ways of screwing with our lives." The clone muttered in disbelief.

"Maybe it's karma." The dog said.

"Karma? For what?"

"For screwing with the universe first? Maybe this is the universe way of getting back at us."

"I'd rather not think about that possibility." The clone muttered, "Anyways if you need to help for anyways just boss know, somehow."

The dog waved a paw in the air, "By-." The projection in the sky disappeared as the memories came to an end.

Blanc slowly turned to look up into Naruto's eyes. "You and your clones really do find themselves in the most messed up situations."

Naruto flopped back onto the grassy hill and sighed. "If I didn't know better I'd almost think the universe was pranking ME for a change."

"Well your life is good for a laugh if nothing else." Kurama's voice rumbled across the hills, "You should probably head back now though."

"Yeah, you're right." Naruto said as he sat up. "Let's go Blanc." He said as he flared his chakra and broke the seal he had written on their foreheads.

**x~X~x**

Uzume sighed as she laid her head against the concrete wall of the hospital wing just outside of her Ashikabi's room. The past week had been amazing. The pranks with Naruto, the shopping, making Chiho laugh with all the new outfits she had purchased on Naruto's money.

She even got to enjoy trying them on for the both of them. Their reactions were vastly different, Naruto had been a bloody wreck as his nose exploded repeatedly and Chiho had been reduced to giggles, but both had been equally enjoyable.

But all that fun and enjoyment had come to an end abruptly this morning. She hated Higa Izumi and Kakizaki. They had her in the palm of their hands and she couldn't do anything about it.

She looked down at her hands and a small tear rolled down the side of her face. How much more blood must she spill? Uzume knew the truth and it frustrated her that she couldn't do anything about it. They would use her until they couldn't use her anymore.

Then they would get rid of her.

She knew too much about what they've done and what they plan. There was no way Higa would let her live after her use to him had run out. She clenched her fists tightly and bit back a sob. There had to be a way to save her Ashikabi, there just had to be. One that didn't involve Higa Izumi and his blackmail. MBI could no longer help her; she had violated too many rules of engagement in the Sekirei Plan plus there was the whole fiasco with Matsu. They wouldn't just up and help her and then let her go after everything she had done thus far.

"Ah, Uzume-san. It is good to see you again." Uzume flinched as the voice of Kakizaki, Higa's right hand man, floated over to her.

"What do you want now?" She snapped at him. His face was the last thing she wanted to see right now. Chiho had been too weak to wake up and even smile for her this morning.

She had done what he wanted. Ikki was dead, taken out by some unknown force. Kazehana was essentially out of the game for the most part and as for Kuno…

She had been terminated this morning. She had seen to it herself. Kuno's only ability was her screech. With earplugs she had been able to ignore it entirely and continue on the offensive. Her Ashikabi had valiantly tried to save her.

He would survive, given a couple months treatment in the Hospital. She hadn't meant to hurt him that badly. She hadn't meant to hurt him at all but he had jumped in front of her attack. An attack meant for a Sekirei's hardened body.

Kuno did not last much longer after that, no matter how hard she had fought. That was the issue with battling Ashikabi and their Sekirei using unconventional rules and methods. They always fought so much harder to protect each other. She had gone ballistic when her Ashikabi fell.

It was Uzume's first level 4 deactivation. It left a foul taste in her mouth. She hadn't even been able to watch over Kuno until she was picked up. Uzume couldn't let anything link those attacks to her. If her Chiho got wind of it Uzume didn't know what she would do.

"Now now, none of that." Kakizaki said as he adjusted the glasses on his nose. He turned to the doctor beside him, "Go inform the patient that the treatment will be delayed and that we'll need her to stay here for the time being."

Uzume glared at Kakizaki and fear began to grip her as she thought at first he was referring to her Chiho. However when the doctor turned and entered Hanabi's room Uzume's heart stopped for an entirely different reason. If Kakizaki was interested in Hanabi-san, then that meant Higa was as well. And if her situation with them was anything to go by that was bad.

Fear gripped Uzume for a moment. Hanabi and Chiho were good friends. Hanabi was one of the few things Chiho had left to smile about. She had to warn her.

Then rational thought reasserted itself as she remembered several things. Hanabi had been at Izumo Inn and she had said it wasn't actually her in there in the Hospital room. Higa and Kakizaki must not know that.

Well she wasn't about to correct their mistake.

"Higa-sama is pleased with your progress. While he is aware that you had nothing to do with Ikki's demise or Kazehana's forced retirement he is magnanimous enough to look the other way as results are all he cares about, not the methods used to achieve said results."

"How thoughtful of him." Uzume spat out. Higa was 'magnanimous' alright. More like he just didn't care about how the job got done so long as he gained something from it.

"Now in light of your recent success Higa-sama has some more targets for you to take care of." Kakizaki said as he reached into his coat pocket.

"I did what you asked of me! Heal Chiho!" Uzume snapped. This was not part of the deal. They had agreed to start treatment if she had taken those three out of the game. Well they were gone and they still wouldn't start any treatment.

Kakizaki pulled out three photos. "We will, and to show our good will towards you and your efforts you don't have to eliminate all of them. If you take out even one of these Sekirei we will begin treatment. That way you can see that we have kept our word. Of course we won't complete the treatment until all three are gone but I'm sure you can manage." Kakizaki said as he held the photos out for Uzume.

The brown-haired snatched the photos from Kakizaki's hands. She took a quick cursory glance at them and froze. "W-What?" She gasped.

"Yes, there is a troublesome player in this game that Higa would like dealt with and you will deal with him. His Sekirei are No. 07 Akitsu, No. 08 Yume, and No. 20 Blanc. Those are your new targets. You will eliminate them or Higa-sama will throw Chiho out into the street and you can find your own way to heal her." Kakizaki said as he adjusted his glasses again, "We are not running a charity here. It takes time, money, and man-power to keep your Ashikabi alive. If you do not 'pay rent' so to speak she will not be allowed to remain here."

The one person she never wanted to face. The one person she placed at almost the same level as her Ashikabi. Higa was forcing her to choose between Naruto and Chiho. It didn't matter if she went through with this. Naruto was as much her friend as his fiancée Hanabi was Chiho's.

This was the worst case scenario for her.

"I-I need time to think." Uzume said softly as she stared tearfully down at the three images. She could feel her heart crack as she was forced into a choice that would damn her no matter what she did.

"You can take all the time you like but do remember your Ashikabi doesn't have much time left. If we do not hear a favorable reply within five weeks you will find her on the street." Kakizaki said as he turned and quickly left the building.

Uzume clenched her first tightly and slammed it into the wall. Cracks spider-webbed outwards from the impact and flakes of concrete and paint rained down. With a sob Uzume slid boneless to the floor.

Why her, why did Kami have to curse her like this. Tears streamed down her face as she glared at the cold uncaring floor. No matter what she did, no matter the choice she made, all that existed at the end of this tunnel was despair.

**x~X~x**

"Is she properly sedated?" The doctor asked as he entered the room.

"Yes doctor. The amount of medication she was given is enough to make a Sekirei comatose for days." One of the nurses said. There were two nurses in the room prepping the patient and the machine for the operation to come.

The operation had been delayed more than two weeks due to the mess that happened in Shinto Teito. Once Minaka had taken over Japan he had immediately taken steps to isolate the nation from the rest of the world. The ship with the machinery had just arrived and everything on it had been seized by MBI and their troops. It had taken weeks to finally clear it through. MBI had been very suspicious about it but it did what as it had been advertised. It did indeed clear up and remove scar tissue.

It just also had other, hidden functionality that MBI wasn't aware of.

The doctor moved over beside the patient on the bed. The information had her had said she was No. 84, Hanabi. A Sekirei not bound or traceable by MBI, a Sekirei they were free to do with as they pleased.

With practiced ease the doctor quickly stripped the patient of her clothing. While it wasn't entirely necessary to do so, all they needed exposed was her stomach, there was no way he was denying himself this view.

The doctor couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was. Sekirei always seemed to have perfect bodies. He ran a finger across her lips and trailed his hand down her throat until he reached her breasts. He drew circles in her soft flesh as he spiraled his way up to her nipple. After giving the tip a few tweaks he trailed his fingers down her stomach and slid them between her legs.

"I do hope she survives this." The doctor murmured as he pulled his fingers out from between her. "He did say that if we were successful I could have my way with her afterwards." It would be easy to keep her drugged up beyond the ability to form a coherent thought. Then she'd be the perfect toy to satisfy his desires. He'd only have a short time before her Ashikabi came to get her but he planned to fully enjoy her with what time he did have.

Perhaps he could come up with an excuse that there were complications and she needed to remain for monitoring. That would allow him to have even more time with the beautiful piece of flesh.

The nurses stared at him in disgust but quickly hid their displeasure when his attention focused on them. "The machine is ready doctor." One of the nurses said as she extended arm of the machine out over Hanabi's abdomen.

The machine itself was similar to that of an x-ray machine, at least in looks. Unlike an x-ray machine however the arms that went above and below the patient actually came into contact with the patient's skin. It was also much wider to allow it to affect a larger surface area. This machine also came with a special containment field in the upper arm that should theoretically allow for the storage of Sekirei Core's. This was an experimental method and No. 84 Hanabi would be their first test subject.

"Doctor there's something else in there besides the Core." The nurse said as she looked at the screen. The machine did a scan of everything between the arms allowing for the operators to see everything beneath the skin. It was very much like the Byakugan in that regard although they were not aware of that.

"What is it?" He demanded as he went behind the machine and looked at the image. If there was something else in there that could hamper the success of this operation and risk his chance to play with his new toy…

"She's pregnant!" The bitch was used goods! The doctor almost flew into a rage right there but stilled himself, he couldn't let anger ruin this chance. "After we retrieve the core we're ripping the baby out. I will NOT have that parasite inside MY new toy!" Nothing less would settle his anger. He'd take it out on the unborn child. "Continue with the Sekirei Core extraction! If that 'thing' dies in the process good. It won't hinder anything."

The two nurses exchanged horrified looks behind the doctor's back. While taking the Core for isolated examination at a specialized facility was one thing, it could lead to countless breakthroughs that could help humanity, what this doctor wanted to do with the patient afterwards was something completely different.

The doctor moved back around to the other side of the bed. He wanted the best seat to enjoy the show. "Start the procedure!" The doctor ordered imperiously. "I have a date with my new toy afterwards! Let's get this over with before dinner time."

"Yes doctor." The two nurses said in unison as they went to work activating the machine. There was a hum of electricity as the extractor started up.

**x~X~x**

"Has Uzume-san responded yet?" Higa asked as he gazed out the window of his office. The view was spectacular. It gave him a commanding look over the city of Shinto Teito. Buildings rose and fell all around his offices but none came close to matching his opulence.

Well none save that singular eyesore in the center of the city: MBI.

Oh how Higa would just love to wipe that company out. Destroy it so utterly that no other company would dare tread upon his market like it had.

"Sir, Uzume-san appears to be hesitating." Kakizaki responded as he went over the files in his hands. "It appears she is somewhat attached to this Naruto Uzumaki."

"That is irrelevant to me. Take her Ashikabi off the medication she's currently on." Higa said as he spun his chair around to face his secretary.

"She'll quickly reach critical levels if we do that sir, we won't be able to save her after that point." Kakizaki said as he rifled through the pages in his hand.

"Like I said, irrelevant. She has always been a doomed case. There is no cure for her condition. However she can still be of use. If we hasten her demise it will force Uzume to give us a favorable response sooner rather than later." He needed Uzume to move on Naruto Uzumaki as soon as possible. He knew of Hanabi's link to Naruto and he knew that he would try and come for him next after he destroyed that Sekirei. He needed Mr. Uzumaki weakened as much as possible before that confrontation came.

Even without his involvement in ruining Sekirei No. 84 Hanabi the Sekirei Plan would ensure that the two of them would have a head-on collision in the future. Best to stack as many cards in his favor beforehand.

"After analyzing all the information from his attack on Mikogami Hayato the likeliness of Uzume succeeding is less than one percent." Kakizaki reminded his employer.

"I'm well aware of that. I expect that tool to be 'broken' soon after taking out one of Uzumaki's Sekirei. If his relentless nature in how he dealt with Mikogami is anything to go by he won't give Uzume the chance to plan a second attack, she may not even get away after the first attack." He would be content with that. With one of his Sekirei taken out he'll be that much less dangerous. Naruto would be reduced to his own unique set of skills and whatever two Sekirei he had left could do.

Uzume was also becoming a threat. She was starting to care about Naruto Uzumaki too much. With all the strange abilities that Mr. Uzumaki possessed it was not outside the realm of possibility that he could cure the girl where they could not.

He couldn't allow that. He fully intended to use Uzume and her Ashikabi up before that happens. Once Naruto ended Uzume, Higa would see to it that Uzume's Ashikabi 'disappeared'.

It would just be one more mysterious disappearance in Shinto Teito and it's not like Uzume's Ashikabi had any relatives that would care enough ask questions.

"Do you want our other assets to move in on whatever Sekirei Uzume doesn't defeat?"

Higa crossed his hands in front of his chest and leaned back in his chair as he thought. "Have Toyotama and Ichiya tail Uzume. If she fails to go through with her job, they're to terminate her. If Uzumaki pulls out any of his strange techniques have them try and take it. Only one of them needs to return, the other one is ordered to stay there and die to cover the other's retreat. As for targeting his other Sekirei, we'll have to see how the situation unfolds and plan accordingly."

"As you wish Higa-sama." Kakizaki said as he bowed and excused himself from the room.

"I need to put extra security measures in place." Higa mused as he turned back to the window. "Naruto Uzumaki will come for me and I will have a trap set for him when he does."

**x~X~x**

"Everything seems to be okay." The first nurse said as she stared at the image, "The machine has locked onto the Core perfectly fine. Containment field is being put into place around it… now." The humming grew louder and the doctor could see a green light emanating from between the two arms. "Containment field is in place, Core is being extract- wait something's wrong here." The nurse said in a panic as the image started to waver and become fuzzy, "Something's happening to the patient!"

There was a poof and a cloud of smoke enveloped the bed.

"What the hell is going on here!" The doctor roared in anger. He waved his arms frantically as he tried to clear the smoke.

Suddenly his body quaked as two soundless shockwaves rattled his bones. Something wet and warm splashed across his face and body. He looked down in confusion at his now stained and wet lab coat, dark red blood covered every inch of it. Dark spidery alien writing slithered across the floor, up the walls and across the ceiling. A second set of explosions knocked the doctor to floor.

"Wh-What the h-hell." Fear gripped him now as he stared at his blood stained hands. It wasn't just his lab coat that was covered in the red substance, he was literally drenched in it. As the cloud of smoke disappeared he realized a horrible fact. The machine was destroyed, most of it was embedded in the far wall, and the two nurses were nowhere to be found, unless one would include the enormous amount of blood and gore that dripped from the ceiling and slid down the walls.

Suddenly he was yanked off the floor and body slammed into the bed where No. 84 Hanabi had once been. He twisted his head this way and that to see who his assailant was and came face to face with the twisted visage of the very same Sekirei he had been about to experiment on. The veins in and around her eyes were engorged and the look in them promised only pain and agony.

"H-How y-you s-should h-have b-been a-asleep!" The doctor quivered in fear.

Hanabi raised her bare arms, her perfect, flawless arms. "I've been healed for weeks. I used a dummy in my place so that I would still be allowed free movement through this Hospital." Hanabi bit out as she glared down at the doctor. She hated this doctor more than anyone she had ever hated before. She was pretty sure that right now she hated him even more than Madara.

With expert ease she whipped out some ninja wire and quickly tied the doctor to the bed. He struggled but he wasn't physically strong enough to stop Hanabi. "Y-You won't get away with this!"

She hit him in the stomach, hard. The doctor gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs. Hanabi grabbed his right hand and twisted it up, "Actually, I will get away with this. You think you can play with my body with repercussions?" Hanabi growled as she ripped off one of his finger nails, the doctor screamed in pain. "You think you can claim me as YOUR toy?" A second scream of agony tore through the room as she ripped off a second finger nail. "You dare try to steal MY precious bond with Naruto-kun!?" Another nail was ripped off. "**YOU DARE THREATEN TO KILL MY CHILD?!**" Hanabi roared as she ripped the entire tip of his fourth index finger off, nail and all. Hanabi went deathly quiet as she whispered the next part, "No one can hear you scream." The thumbnail on that hand was violently ripped off.

Despite Hanabi's proclamation the doctor still cried out, "NOOO STOP! SOMEONE HELP!" The doctor tried to scream for help as blood leaked from his fingertips.

"You are going to tell me everything." Hanabi said as she went back to the first finger and snapped the tip of it like a twig, "You have 15 nails left, 22 square feet of skin, 206 bones, 640 different muscles, 900 different ligaments and 22 organs." Hanabi's eyes seemed to glow with an eerie light. With a few quick taps of her fingers the blood stopped flowing out of the wounds in his fingers, "I can stop the flow of blood to any part of your body. I can keep you alive for a very long time and I have a lot of material to work with. You WILL tell me everything you know. I won't let you die and I won't let you slip into blissful slumber until I have torn every single thing from that sick twisted mind of yours! And when I am through with you I will have you BEG for death!"

The doctor could only scream helplessly as Hanabi went to work.

**x~X~x**

"I think I see why you like sitting here so much." Naruto murmured softly as he gazed up into the night sky. These days he often found himself sitting on the edge of the veranda just staring up into the sky. "It's quite relaxing to just gaze up at the stares and let ones worries drift away."

It was a very relaxing experience, especially when shared with someone who enjoyed it just as much as he did. Sometimes he just needed to sit back and relax and let the stress and tension drain from his system, he never had the luxury of enjoying something like this back in the Elemental Nations. The tea also helped a lot. Miya was very good at preparing it.

"Oh Naruto-san, you're starting to sound like an old man." Miya smiled as she covered her mouth with one hand and let out a small laugh.

Naruto looked down at his hands sadly and sighed, "Perhaps so, sometimes I feel like I've lived twice as long as my age would otherwise suggest."

Miya eyed him, "I would still hardly consider you an old man." She said softly. Miya glanced around the backyard and took in the quiet. "It's odd to see you alone like this these days." With four Sekirei there was almost always at least one of them around him. It made it difficult for her to find time to talk with Naruto alone like she used to.

Naruto was right, it was very relaxing to just sit out here on the veranda and soak in the night. Even more so when you shared it with someone you cared about.

A quick grimace flickered across her face. She loved Takehito-san, these feelings she had inside her were wrong, weren't they? Naruto-san was married now; she had seen the ring on his finger and on Hanabi's. She was happy for him; he had found someone like she had found Takehito-san.

Miya brought a hand up to her heart and gripped her kimono tightly. Why did it hurt so much whenever she saw that ring? There was no way she was jealous or envious. She couldn't be. She shouldn't be.

A brief flash of jealous anger flashed across Miya's eyes. Why did Hanabi-san have to exist?

"She…" Miya jumped and for a moment she feared that Naruto had heard her thoughts. She glanced over at Naruto, he was staring up at the moon and hadn't noticed anything. "Sorry, Blanc, is in my room reading. I managed to track down a copy of that book she had been reading at the mansion. Right now she's more interested in what's going to happen to Martha than me." Naruto said with a wry grin. Blanc really enjoyed her books. He didn't mind too much, it was a healthy habit after all. He still needed to make that library for her so he could unseal the rest of the books he had obtained from Mikogami Hayato's mansion but that would have to wait until he had the space to build it. That kind of space was a luxury here in Shinto Teito and while he was filthy rich after the attack, he wouldn't be for long if he spent it that liberally.

Miya sighed in relief. Her anxiety quickly passed. She quickly banished those earlier thoughts from her mind. They were unbecoming of someone like her. She should not resent Hanabi-san for being at Naruto's side. Jealousy was an ugly emotion that only hurt others, besides Hanabi-san was a reasonable and nice person who shared many of the same values as her, when she wasn't trying to circumvent her rules. She didn't know how Hanabi could always see her coming long before she arrived but it was downright vexing at times.

"They were supposed to be 'fixing' Hanabi's arms this afternoon." Naruto continued, they all knew that Hanabi was fully healed but she wanted to be there to see what the process was like. And to get information on what was going on. Without someone like Matsu at their beck and call they were forced to do more old-fashion reconnaissance. "She wanted to see what the process was like and to calm things down when the clone popped."

"I would have thought she'd be back by now."

"Hmm." Naruto made a non-committal sound. She should have been, yes, but several hours ago he had felt an incredibly powerful surge of rage and anger through the bond. Whatever they had tried to do to Hanabi had caused her to fly into a rage he had never seen or felt before. The only reason he wasn't there now was that he sensed no pain, fear, anxiety or terror that could be associated with an injury or a situation she couldn't handle. Obviously something more than simple scar-tissue healing had gone on and Hanabi was getting to the bottom of it.

It was probably best to let her work her anger out before he stepped in.

Naruto reached up to his ear and uncoupled a small sphere from an earring Miya hadn't noticed. He held it out in his out-stretched hand and channeled some chakra into it. An image appeared above it depicting a roof-top scene.

"As for Akitsu and Yume, I sent them to support Minato. I like the guy even if I think he needs to grow a pair of balls. For a man he's pretty spineless." Naruto said. Miya laughed lightly but she didn't disagree. She liked Minato as well, if only because unlike Naruto she could actually catch him doing illicit activities. He also paid rent, which few aside from Homura and Naruto did.

The scene became clearer. It gave a 360 degree view of the area but part of the view was blocked by Akitsu's hair. All of his Sekirei, sans Hanabi, had one of these earrings so he could bring up a picture of their surroundings. Hanabi didn't have one because it interfered with her stealth ability. The earrings gave off just enough of a presence when activated that it could draw someone's attention to something they had previously ignored.

It appeared that his Sekirei were in combat, or at least Akitsu was. He couldn't see Yume but Akitsu was faced off a Sekirei clothed in nothing but strips of white cloth. She seemed familiar to Naruto, he couldn't quite figure it out since the face was hidden behind a veil, but he knew those breasts, he just couldn't remember from where.

In the middle of the rooftop he could see Tsukiumi faced off against a chakram wielding Sekirei. She appeared to have things under control with that fight. Although neither had been able to get a hit on the other Tsukiumi was on the offensive more often than the other.

At the far end of the rooftop was Kaho, who was battling against what appeared to be a hand-to-hand combat specialist. She was winning her battle pretty decisively from what Naruto could see. Her opponent had dozens of small cuts and injuries all over her body and she was breathing quite heavily. Kaho on the other hand looked almost serene as she held her naginata in front of her. She appeared to be completely unscathed.

What concerned both Naruto and Miya the most was the human bonfire that was Homura.

"That can't be healthy." Naruto mused as he eyed the burning form of Homura.

"Homura is…" Miya paused, "Homura was… modified more extensively as a fetus than the others, he was used to see what modifications would or wouldn't work. His powers are a little more unstable as a result." Homura had been the fetus that had been used to figure out which modifications would or wouldn't work on Matsu, Kazehana, Karasuba and Mutsu. Akitsu and Yume had also both been used as experiments to see what would or wouldn't work. Akitsu had been used to test out modifications that conflicted with what Homura had already gone through while Yume had been used in a similar manner to test out the last batch of modifications that conflicted with what the earlier two Sekirei had gone through.

By the time Tsukiumi was ready to be adjusted MBI had already covered everything and all the Sekirei from that point on didn't go through any experimental or untested modifications.

The wooden porch cracked and splintered as Miya's fingers dug into it. A flash of anger flickered across her eyes as she remembered those early days. Damn that woman for what she had made her do. She had hunted her down afterwards and killed her for her actions, not that it had done any good.

Because of that woman she had been forced to get a new set of Sekirei just before launch. There hadn't been any time for them to grow properly and as a result her Sekirei were forced to be transported as fetuses and fertilized eggs. This was what allowed MBI to do all those adjustments and modifications to her Sekirei.

The other seven ships had all launched with 107 fully grown Sekirei.

"Are you alright Miya?" Naruto asked in concern. He didn't bother asking anything more about Homura, he had a feeling that Miya wouldn't tell him even if he asked.

"Whatever do you mean Naruto-san?" Miya asked as she brought a hand up to her mouth and smiled innocently.

"Nevermind." He knew Miya wouldn't tell him anything when she was like this. "Miya you're a Sekirei right?" Naruto asked.

Miya gave Naruto a quick look. An odd expression crossed her face before she sighed softly, "Why are you asking a question you already know the answer to?" Miya asked quietly.

"Just trying to direct the conversation."

Miya brushed a few strands of hair from her face, "You're not entirely correct, but you're not incorrect either."

"Oh." Naruto said as he mulled over those words, she must be referring to the oddities about her that Hanabi had seen. "Well, where are you and the Sekirei from?" Naruto asked quietly. "I know you're not from this world, you're simply too different from its inhabitants." Naruto glanced over at the landlady, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I could say the same about you and Hanabi-san." Miya said lightly and gave Naruto a quick smile. "I doubt either of you are from around here." She knew that Hanabi was a Sekirei, so that precluded her from being from this world. If Naruto had always been by her side then that meant he had traveled with her.

"A trade then?" Naruto asked.

"That is only fair is it not Naruto-san?"

"Heh, I guess so." Naruto replied as he stared out into the lawn again. He brought his free hand up to his chin and thought for a moment, "There's so much to tell so I'll try to keep it brief. Hanabi and I are from a place we called the 'Elemental Nations.' There were many countries in our world, dozens, although there were five that were significantly larger and more powerful than the others: Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure and finally my and Hanabi's home, Konohagakure. The five great nations always had a sort of cease fire agreement with each other, when we weren't trying to destroy each other, and sometimes we entered into loose peace treaties or alliances. War, death, assassination, espionage and sabotage were all common every-day occurrences."

"Oh my, sounds like a dreadful place." Miya said lightly as she placed a hand over her mouth.

"You're right, although at the time I would have called you a liar. I was quite different back then. Loud, brash, arrogant, naïve, and still filled with hopes and dreams of a better future, for everyone. I was essentially oblivious to the harsh realities of life, ignorant of the depths of human depravity. I still have hopes and dreams, but they're more realistic now. I just want to be happy, and for the ones I care about to be happy." True eternal peace was a lie that he had come to realize could never happen. Humans needed conflict to grow. One did not become a better person by living a life without hardship. That was one of the fundamental issues with Madara's plan to take over the world. It would have eliminated all hardship, all struggles, all conflict and all growth. It would have locked the entire world in stasis. It was an evolutionary dead-end.

Of course too much conflict was just plain destructive. You needed a stable balance between the two. Like exercise, you couldn't just work out every day, you needed breaks to allow the muscles to heal, grow, and become stronger. Society was like that, just on a larger and much more complex scale.

Naruto hadn't come to that realization until several years after Konoha had been destroyed. Because of the war against Madara he and his companions had all been pushed to incredible heights simply to survive. It was doubtful than many of them, if any, would have ever reached those heights during times of peace. At the end, any one of the shinobi under Naruto's command could have put the Sannin of his youth to shame. The Fuinjutsu he had developed could have revolutionized the world after Madara's death.

Madara's desire to erase all conflict wasn't the only reason he needed to be stopped, but it was a major one.

Miya gave him a kind smile, "I don't think anyone would object to Naruto Uzumaki being happy."

"I hope not, it's about the only dream I have left." Naruto sighed and brushed a hand through his hair. Thinking about home brought back a lot of memories, good memories but painful ones as well. He rested his hand on the edge of the veranda and gazed forward unseeing as his mind flashed back to the past. "Anyways one day someone who was supposed to be dead was brought back to life. He was given an immortal body that instantaneously regenerated itself. On top of that he possessed powers far in excess of everyone else at the time. He was… unstoppable. He started a war against the world, and nearly won. We fought bitterly hard for over eight years and although the world was almost destroyed, and I lost nearly everyone I cared about, we managed to kill him. I created a technique that let Hanabi finally end his existence. Unfortunately it was a technique that defied reality and the universe didn't like that. It… rejected us. I don't know any other way to explain it. Then we just… floated, somewhere, in limbo? I'm not entirely sure where we were. It could have been seconds, it could have been eons, it felt like an instant and yet an eternity at the same time. All I know is that it ended when a flash of multi-colored light engulfed us and we found ourselves in Shinto Teito in the exact same condition as we were in when we were rejected."

Miya reached out and laid her hand on top of his. "No one here will reject you." Miya said softly. There were many hidden meanings in that statement.

A change in the images drew their attention to it. Akitsu was still fighting the veiled Sekirei but it appeared to be a stalemate. Whoever she was, she was strong, although Akitsu and Yume had been instructed only to take out their opponent if it was necessary. This was Minato's battle, not theirs. However what drew their attention was Homura.

"Wow, I guess he does have some balls after all, although I always figured he swung that way." Naruto commented as he watched Minato kiss a burning Homura. Minato's clothing and body were beginning to singe and burn due to the intense heat. It took some courage to jump into a raging inferno like that. Brilliant red wings of flames could be seen shining brightly behind the flame Sekirei. "Now he has more Sekirei than I do, maybe I should find another." Naruto mused. Miya started to heat up. She opened her mouth to speak, "Except Hanabi would probably kill me if I deliberately tried to find another one."

Miya snapped her mouth shut. She had to suppress another surge of jealousy. She liked Hanabi-san, she really did, but for an instant there she had felt otherwise.

"It may be difficult now that all the little ones have gained their wings." Miya said as she gently squeezed Naruto's hand. "Homura was the last one."

"I guess you're right." Naruto said with a sigh, "Kind of makes me sad though that someone with no libido like him ended up with more girls than me."

"Oh my, is Naruto-san's beastly desires getting the best of him again?" Miya said with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Should I watch myself in case you try to ravish a poor little old widow like myself?" She barely managed to keep a straight face as she began to heat up between her legs. She couldn't possibly 'want' Naruto-san to ravish her, could she?

Naruto laughed, "Don't worry Miya. I think I can control myself. I won't force myself on anyone that doesn't want it." Oh how he so enjoyed this banter. He didn't know how long it would last though; eventually they would have to move out, more than likely around the time Hanabi gave birth. There just wouldn't be enough room in Izumo Inn to start a family.

Miya laughed as well. Even if nothing came from their relationship, at least she had someone she could talk with, "The Sekirei and I come from another world." Miya started. Naruto looked at her in confusion for a moment before it clicked. He had revealed his origins now she was speaking of hers.

Miya looked up at the moon and pointed. Naruto followed her finger and almost gasped in surprise. There between the moon and the Earth was a huge landmass. It floated on top of wings of chakra. It was too far away to make out any more details than that.

"Kouten. That is the name of that landmass. It is a piece of our home. You are right; we are not of this world. We are not of this dimension either. Our world was dying, slowly, but surely. I've only heard stories and read a little of what was in the history books but from what I've read many millennia ago a massive war ruined the world. The spirit of the world, Gaia, died in the final battle. We were living on borrowed time. The land could not be restored, renewed, regenerated, only consumed. We managed as best we could but we needed a plan to survive: The Sekirei Plan."

Naruto glanced at her curiously, "I hardly see how this battle royal here in Shinto Teito is going to help your race survive." He said as he eyed the end of the battle through the device.

Kaho unleashed a massive cutting attacking that tore through her opponents defenses and left her bleeding heavily on the rooftop. She was certainly out of the game now, and if she wasn't Kaho would make certain of it soon.

"Minaka has made a mockery of what the Sekirei Plan was meant to be. However I must tolerate it as a necessary evil. Without MBI the little ones would have never found their destined partner." And she would never have had the chance to search for the final pillar and the ninth Jinki he/she possessed. Even with the other pillars gone, their Jinki would still remain behind. That's all that mattered. Once she had the ninth she could kill Minaka, destroy MBI, and start the process.

"I'm still not seeing the connection." Naruto repeated.

Miya just covered her mouth and laughed, "Oh I can't tell you everything Naruto-san. A woman needs some secrets. To finish the story however eight ships were constructed. There were seven others like me; our ships were situated around the edges of the last habitable place on our world. The construction of the ships and the method of our travel were not revealed to me but the results were this. We arrived here, over this world, a thousand years ago. Kouten stayed aloft but the ships all fell to Earth. While the others all fell on land, my ship and my charges all fell into the ocean where we slept until just a few decades ago." She could control Kouten and knew how to utilize the device found therein, but she did not know how it was constructed. She wasn't even the one originally in control of Kouten. That had been a task reserved for the second Sekirei Pillar. She only took control when the first seven died of old age or passed on control, she never did figure out exactly how they all disappeared.

It was very much like how most people in this day and age knew how to use a phone but if you asked them to build one they wouldn't know where to start. The one responsible for the creation of the ships and the systems in place in Kouten was long dead.

"So we're all aliens to this world." Naruto said with a grin as he looked at Kouten with interest.

Miya smiled back, "Yes, just one more aspect we both share."

**x~X~x**

Late the next day found Hanabi standing silently in the center of her former Hospital room. Her mind went over everything she had learned from the twisted excuse for a human she had worked over.

The doctor was very dead. The bed was drenched and blood and one could still see small streams of it trailing off the edge of the bed to join the large pool forming beneath it. Her Sekirei power could do amazing things when coupled with her immaculate chakra control. She had been able to force the blood in that things body to travel down the routes she wanted so even as she flayed the skin from his body he hadn't bled out. She had simply used gravity to either squeeze an artery shut or force the blood to ignore certain pathways.

The former doctor didn't have an inch of skin left on his body. His bones were all broken and his muscles were torn to shreds. She hadn't needed to start in on his ligaments or organs. She had used a combination of her Sekirei power and her bloodline to force him awake and keep him alive throughout the entire procedure.

He had broken quite early on, but one thing she had been taught is that they'll say anything at first just to get the pain to stop. You had to keep going and use word games to cross-check their answers so that you could separate the truth from the lies.

"**Kaiten!**" Hanabi shouted as she began to spin. Chakra poured from her tenketsu and whirled around her like a maelstrom. The technique expanded until it enveloped the entire room. When Hanabi stopped spinning the place was completely decimated. It would be impossible to hide that 'something' went on in here but no one would be able to figure out what had happened.

Hanabi relaxed her muscles as she let the last of her anger drain away. It was done now. The doctor knew surprisingly little about the ultimate mastermind behind the whole experiment, which was of little surprise to her. It was standard practice in case something like what just happened here occurred. However she did learn several interesting facts.

The individual that had given the orders was someone who went by the name of Kakizaki. While the doctor didn't know specifically who he worked for he did know that Kakizaki worked for some big hot shot with a major stake in the parent corporation of the company that owned the Hospital. She was going to have to do some more digging but at least she had a direction to start walking.

She was going to get to the bottom of this, no one screwed with her, her family or her friends like this.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** There, wrapped up a couple loose ends such as what happened to Mitsuki after she left the mansion and the operation on Hanabi. Ended the 2nd stage as well and have now moved onto the third. Now I'm ready to dive into the Higa Arc.

You also now know how I plan to deal with Mitsuki being Naruto's 'Sekirei.' She's not his Sekirei, not even by proxy. And what's happening to the Dog ANBU is happening to the two wayward clones as well. Naruto's chakra is being replaced by the chakra from their core. This means the link between them will sever and many of the perks that came with being a clone of Naruto will disappear as well.

And as for Hanabi being that brutal, I think she was justified. I don't know about you but having someone play with your body, try to turn you into their toy, destroy your bonds with everyone you love AND kill your unborn child? That deserves a special kind of death. She gave the nurses a quick instant death because while they were accomplices, they were obvious disgusted by most of what the doctor wanted. She also couldn't leave behind any witnesses.

And yes the child would be included in the clone, at that stage of development she and the child are part of the same chakra network.

I've always wondered about something. The show sort of implies that it took outside help for the Sekirei to grow up to be what they are. I mean those pods sure as hell weren't big enough to house a fully grown Sekirei. So how was it that the Sekirei of the past were able to become fully grown from fetuses and fertilized eggs with just the ship for support? How did they become fully grown before anyone even knew they existed? Nothing in the manga thus far has stated how the past Sekirei came to be. They just simply were, and they were all the same age as well so maturity happened at equal rates for all of them. My theory is that they were already fully grown before they landed.

There are so many unexplained things in that manga and we're already nearing the end of it. I'm coming up with my own explanations for them.

I am also completely changing Kouten. I'm using it, but its purpose is going to be significantly different than the manga, not that they've actually 'explained' what the purpose is at this point in time but I know it's going to be different.

And finally, many people have probably notice but Minato and his Sekirei aren't getting a lot of screen time. That's intentional. One, I hate Minato, he's a spineless wimp and I can't stand his character. The other reason is the only way to give Minato more screen time, is to take it away from Naruto and his Sekirei. Sorry but that's not happening. He's there, but he's really only peripheral and only really has light shone on him when his path intersect with Naruto's. Assume he's doing his normal Sekirei manga spineless bullshit whenever he's not on screen. For those that haven't read Sekirei, picture this: Naked girls throwing themselves willingly at a man who just blushes, gets a nose bleed, and runs away without doing anything. Throw in a few tsundere arguments between Tsukiumi and Minato's other Sekirei and you have pretty much 90% of the interactions Minato has in the manga.


	22. Chapter 21: Chime

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: I've come to realize I've made a rather upsetting mistake. I labeled my hideouts: Alpha, Beta, Charlie and Delta Points… that's incorrect. That's combining the Greek Alphabet with the NATO one. Charlie should have been gamma or beta should have been bravo. Considering the original intent I will be sticking with the Greek Alphabet here on out.**

**This chapter is… well… It's hard to judge how you will all react to it. I told you once before that one of Naruto's Sekirei would be incredibly unique and out there. Well this chapter is that chapter. Welcome everyone to Naruto's last official Sekirei that I had planned. The scenes in this chapter were envisioned long before I ever put pen to paper so to speak. It's been a long time coming. There's actually two things in this chapter that had been envisioned long before I ever put pen to paper. ^_^**

**Finally I'll be pulling in some more references from the Nasuverse, this won't be for some time yet but I figured I'd give you a heads up. There won't be any heroic spirits, or mages, etc., No Ether Liners either or anything of the sort, over-powered pieces of crap that they are. However there are some interesting aspects about the overall Nasuverse, specifically in reference to the planets, that I plan on incorporating into my story.**

**On that note I would love to speak with a Nasuverse expert that knows everything Nasuverse to work some stuff out. The wikia is good but it doesn't give me enough details in certain areas. I can't go into more detail here without spoiling future elements.**

**Review Responses:** Glad everyone agreed with the handling of the doctor and liked the development between Miya and Naruto. Really trying to build a strong and real relationship there since Miya is, at least for me in the context of my story, a hard character to pair up with anyone. She comes with baggage no one else does, in a position of power over virtually everyone else and doesn't really come across as a character that'll play second fiddle to anyone, even Naruto. I'm not female so I doubt her interaction will be exactly as a females would be but I'm hoping that I'm at least portraying some sort of 'real' relationship development that's not too far off real life and not the standard 'Love at First Sight' shtick that all the other Sekirei have.

**Chapter 21: Chime**

A scream of frustration broke Blanc's immersion in her book. She had been incredibly fascinated by what it was she had been reading. There was so much to learn of this world that she felt she could read from now until the moment she died of old age and still not cover everything.

She set her book, 'How to Please your Lover,' down and looked over at the desk where the scream had originated. She started in surprise as she realized there was a rather large new addition to their room. Had she really been so absorbed in her book that she hadn't noticed the giant metal case being lugged into the room?

The cry itself had come from Hanabi as she hammered on a keyboard in futility. Naruto's wife glared at the screen as if trying to will it to work properly. Beside her was Naruto. He had a hand on her shoulder and was rubbing it comfortingly, although the small smile on his face made him look as if he was about break out into laughter at any moment.

"What's wrong?" Blanc asked as she got up and hovered over to their side.

"Ah, sorry Blanc, I hope we didn't disturb you." Naruto said apologetically as he glanced over at his newest Sekirei.

"It's no problem." Blanc replied.

Hanabi wasn't in the mood to be so apologetic, "This stupid piece of junk is worthless! How are you supposed to get it to do anything? I swear if Arthain just tricked me to into buying a 40,000,000 yen piece of shit I'm going to tear his core out and shove it down his throat!"

Blanc blinked in surprise. That was a lot of money.

"Arthain?" That was a name Blanc hadn't heard in over a month. Had he stuck around? She had been under the impression that he was long gone.

"It seems that we're still connected on some level because he is a clone of me." Naruto said as he turned to face Blanc fully, "He still gets the memories of some of the clones that I dispel, although Sasha appears not to get any. Even Arthain doesn't get all the memories of all my clones. Only certain ones it appears. The connection between us, while still there, appears to have frayed quite a bit. It'll probably snap any day now." It was probably due to Naruto's chakra inside the clone being replaced by the chakra from the core. Their situation was so unique he still wasn't sure what to make of it, "Anyways Hanabi has been looking around for computer equipment for a couple weeks now. She saw how easily Matsu could get information with them so she wanted to do the same. I usually send a clone with her in case she needs help carrying stuff back. Apparently Arthain got wind of what she was doing and sent a letter to us addressed to her. It had a list of equipment she should buy if she wanted to 'dig up the dirty secrets of others' as he put it."

"Oh, so that's what this is." Blanc said as she eyed the server enclosure. "He had her buy an entire server." Well that explained the cost. Depending on the quality and the power behind it 40,000,000 yen could be used up pretty quickly. It would eat power up just as quickly, hopefully Naruto had talked it over with Miya first otherwise Sekirei No. 01 would break Naruto's knee caps when she saw her next electricity bill.

"You know what this is?" Hanabi asked as she whirled around in her seat.

"Yes, it's a server farm. I can't tell what's in it because it's locked up but I have read over one-hundred and fifty three different manuals and guides on computer hardware and software so I recognize what this is." Blanc replied.

"…" Naruto and Hanabi just stared at her silently.

"What?" Blanc asked.

Instantly Hanabi was behind the petite Sekirei and began to push her towards the chair. "Blanc my dear, you're my new best friend. Please, have a seat."

Blanc let herself be guided into the chair before the screen. When she got a look at what was on the desk she realized there were actually two monitors. Both were BenQ XL2420TX monitors. The dual 24-inch screens were not the top of the line but they were very good quality monitors, they weren't cheap either. It also appeared that Arthain was a Razer fanatic. The keyboard was a Razer DeathStalker, the mouse was a Naga, the mouse pad was a Vespula and there was even a Tiamat Headset for whatever reason. Blanc was surprised that the case wasn't also made by Razer, although that was probably only because the company didn't make computer cases. The case in this instance was a HAF X. She'd have to go into the system settings to figure out what the specifications were. The computer was connected to the server rack through fiber optic cabling.

Well if Arthain was anything, at least he was stylish. He knew how to pick interesting looking computer equipment.

"There is some information I need to get from this place called the Internet." Hanabi said as she shot the screen a quick glare, "I have no idea what an 'Internet' is or a 'Web Browser,' you know what those are right? I can't seem to get this thing to work!"

Blanc stared at the screen and sighed, "I know what those are. Hanabi-san… is the computer plugged in?" She asked as she stared at two completely blank and empty screens.

"Of course it is! I'm not 'that' bad." Hanabi said indignantly.

Blank looked down at the computer case. The lights were all off and the panel covering the power button was still hiding it. Being very careful not to crack a smile Blanc reached over and slid the panel to the left. The panel had been hiding three buttons, two small ones and a larger one with the power symbol on it. She pushed the largest of the three and a hum filled the room as the computer turned on.

"You need to turn it on before you can do anything." Blanc said without any emotion in her voice.

Hanabi blushed and coughed in embarrassment. While Blanc may have schooled herself Naruto felt no compulsion. The blonde-haired shinobi fell over laughing and began to roll around on the floor.

"Naruto-kun! That's not funny!" Hanabi shouted as she glared down at her husband in embarrassment.

Blanc just shook her head in amusement and then started in surprise when the computer booted to the operating system in under two seconds. That was fast. Fast also described how quickly Hanabi's patience with Naruto ran out, there was a loud 'oomph' from behind her as Hanabi kicked her husband in annoyance.

There wasn't any password or login for the system and it booted straight in. She would have to change that later. No security on a computer was a bad thing; she'd need to add encryption to the drives as well. Blanc quickly went to work rifling through the system settings.

Naruto and Hanabi both stopped what they were doing and gazed on in amazement as window after window flashed across the monitors. They could barely follow what was going on. Blanc's hands were literally a blur as the danced across the keyboard.

"Well he steered you right." Blanc said as she flashed through the systems settings. She accessed the remote desktop application and jumped over to the server on the second screen. "What you have here is an amazing piece of machinery." She was pretty current on the latest inventions and advancements in computers. She was no brain Sekirei so she couldn't access computers directly but outside of those particular Sekirei she was probably the most computer literate of them all.

"What did I end up buying?" Hanabi asked curiously.

"The computer itself is dual-cpu. Each CPU has twenty-four cores with hyper-threading enabled. That machine alone can do ninety-six simultaneous actions. At the current stock clock speed of 3.6 Giga Hertz we're talking hundreds of billions of instructions a second. A hundred and twenty-eight gigs of DDR5 2600 RAM, the operating system is striped across two solid-state drives, there is a petabyte worth of space on the SAN in Raid-5! There are even three video cards in tri-SLI configuration!" This was ridiculous, especially the video cards, what did they need 3 for? Each one cost over a hundred thousand yen. This much power in a personal computer was way beyond over-kill and she hadn't even started in on the server itself. If the information she was reading was correct there were thirty-two blade servers in that server enclosure.

Blanc paused to look over at Naruto and Hanabi. A sweat drop rolled down the back of her head as she realized there were question marks bouncing all around their heads, they looked completely lost and clueless.

"Ah… could you please repeat that in plain Japanese?" Naruto asked. He couldn't make heads or tails of what Blanc was saying, but it sounded cool. He was going to assume she knew what she was talking about because she lost him at dual-cpu.

Hanabi nodded in agreement. She had absolutely no clue what Blanc had said but she 'had' understood a little more than Naruto. She had only gotten lost at hyper-threading.

"Um, well. This computer is powerful and the server is powerful, very powerful. If you want something done, it will do it with ease and ask for more." Blanc summed it up succinctly. She really wanted to explore it some more. This was almost as fun as reading or being with her Ashikabi.

And if she were to get electronic books and sit in Naruto's lap she could do it all at the same time!

"So it can use this 'Web Browser' to explore the 'Internet?'" Hanabi asked curiously.

Blanc gave her a deadpanned look. "If all you wanted was to explore the internet you could do that from your phones."

"What!?" Naruto and Hanabi shouted in surprise.

Ignoring their shocked looks she turned back to the computer screen, "What information are you looking for?" Blanc asked.

Hanabi's flustered look was quickly wiped away. "I want everything on the company that owns the Hospital I was staying at." She growled as memories of what happened in that Hospital room flashed across her mind again. "I want to know every single little detail, and then I'm going to kill a certain someone." This was the perfect time to go through with this plan.

Things had been quiet since the end of the second stage of the Sekirei Plan. Minaka had said he wanted everyone to have a break before he dove into the third stage. Naruto and Hanabi figured they knew what the truth was; the manipulative bastard still needed some time to bring Japan entirely under his thumb.

He had taken the capital easily enough; he already had most of it before anyways as MBI. Other major centers were quick to follow as well. The issue was the country-side. While it was peaceful for the most part there were still certain areas that refused to pay taxes or follow his laws.

Some of the laws were actually hair raising in what they allowed. Anyone designated as a 'Sekirei' or 'Pillar' was allowed to circumvent the law without any consequences or penalties. What it essentially meant was that a Sekirei, any Sekirei, could full out murder a dozen babies in front of thousands and walk away without any sort of consequences under the law. Of course they were only going to walk away provided the crowd didn't tear them apart for doing that but that was an entirely separate matter.

An interesting loophole however was that Ashikabi were still fully restricted by the law. This meant any Ashikabi found guilty of ordering such an action would of course have the full weight of the law brought down on them.

And then there was what that madman was doing to Shinto Teito. Hanabi had no clue what was going on in that man's mind but entire sections of Shinto Teito and the surrounding area were being demolished and rebuilt. She couldn't figure out for the life of her why. In one case Minaka had demolished an entire mall just to shift it, and a road that fed into it, a few meters to the right.

Hanabi knew that they were going to have to move against Minaka soon but the incident at the Hospital and the issue of Uzume's blackmail needed a resolution first.

The two of them, Naruto and Hanabi, had also tried everything to figure out who those 'mysterious Sekirei' that Takami had mentioned but so far neither of them could figure out anything. Every attempt at getting information had turned up nothing. There were never any witnesses to their movements, only a trail of bodies that Minaka was quick to blame on the rebels that opposed his rule.

Ultimately they had decided to focus their attention in a direction where it would get results.

To that end Hanabi had become focused entirely on finding out whom it had been that had given the order to experiment on her. She had tried multiple attempts at getting information the old fashion way by asking around but no one she spoke with knew anything, or if they did they simply decided not to reveal it.

She wasn't really one for espionage and information gathering like that anyways. She was more of an in-your-face politician or assassin. Information gathering was not her specialty.

That was Naruto's specialty and what he had spent his time on, when he wasn't relaxing and pranking people. Despite his sometimes boisterous attitude, or perhaps because of it, it was very easy for him to get information out of people. Unless you knew him very well one would never suspect him of espionage. He was simply 'too' in your face.

The network he had started up was still in its infancy stages so it hadn't turned up much as of yet. Hanabi stilled pestered him about it, she wanted any information she could get her hands on, but he had been mum thus far. He was always like that with information; it was something he had picked up from Jiraiya. He never acted on half-baked information so he would always keep what he knew close to his chest until he a clear picture.

Or at least something relatively useful that had been confirmed by multiple sources that could be worked with.

"Oh, I see why you have all this now; you wouldn't be able to get that through your phone." What Hanabi wanted was to hack into various databases and networks to gain all the information she could on a company, one that was a rival of MBI if she recalled correctly.

Still she didn't need THIS much power to do that, although it would make it much easier.

"Is it possible to hack into the computer networks like what Matsu does?" Naruto asked.

Blanc shrugged, "I don't know, I can try. I know how it's done but I can't access any networks that are completely disconnected from the Internet." She had read several books, including 'Hacking for Dummies: A Guide for Hacking into Military Networks' by Minaka Hiroto. "Everything that is connected to it though…" Blanc eyed the server enclosure up and down, "Well it won't be today but I'll be able to get it. At least I know there won't be any limitations on our end."

"Thank you Blanc!" Hanabi said as she hugged Blanc tightly from behind. The blue haired Sekirei blushed in embarrassment.

"I'll have to find some way to reward you tonight!" Naruto said with a grin.

"She can have my place tonight; I'll convince Yume to trade with her." Hanabi said as she flashed her husband a smile.

Blanc flushed more deeply this time, but for an entirely different reason. Maybe she'd be able to put to use some of the things she had read this morning.

**x~X~x**

Night had fallen around Uzume as she stood silently on the building across the street from a bookstore. Her veiled hood and cloth billowed gently in the evening breeze. Her eyes were filled with remorse and sadness as she tried to harden her resolve for what was to come.

She had told Kakizaki her decision yesterday. She had waited as long as she could to give the answer; it had been several weeks since she had been given the ultimatum. It wasn't a decision she had come to easily or lightly. She had known what her decision would be if she hadn't been able to find a way to save Chiho on her own. She had simply stalled for time and tried to look for alternative methods.

She had found none.

Due to her history with them MBI was out of the question and she didn't know of anyone or any institution that had anywhere near the level of technology required to save her Chiho. She had entertained the idea of speaking with Naruto for a bit but as amazing and interesting as her friend was; his specialty didn't really lie in the area of health and medicine.

And if Naruto started to move differently because of something she said she had no doubt that Higa would instantly act and punish her. She'd be lucky if Higa didn't outright kill Chiho, especially after recent events.

That was at least one piece of good news. She hadn't been able to stop a smirk from forming when she found out what happened during Hanabi's 'operation'. Apparently Higa had flown into a rage when he had heard. She didn't know what happened in there, from the sounds of it neither did Higa, but what they did know was that Hanabi was alive and all those that had been a part of the operation were dead.

Although the smirk hadn't lasted long when she realized what it meant for her. After Higa had found out what happened in that Hospital room with Hanabi he had called to give her an ultimatum. If she failed to terminate Naruto's Sekirei they wouldn't just throw Chiho out onto the street, she'd be killed.

To make matters worse Higa had added Hanabi to the list of Sekirei she was supposed to terminate.

Higa couldn't go after Hanabi personally because all it would take is a thorough analysis of the machine and alarms bells would instantly start to go off. Higa had been forced to quietly cover that incident up.

And now here she was waiting for Naruto's Sekirei Blanc to leave the bookstore she was in. She had been in there most of the day but Uzume knew she had to come out soon. The store would close in a few minutes and she would be forced to leave.

Then Uzume would terminate her.

She had decided on Blanc for a single simple reason. She cared more for Hanabi, Yume and Akitsu than she did Blanc. She had known those three longer.

Naruto was several blocks down scarfing down ramen at a ramen stand he had found. The pace at which he was inhaling that food was so astounding that it had the ramen stand's owner's eyes bulging, even now. He was already on his fifteenth bowl. Uzume didn't know how he could eat so much and she would probably never find out.

After today Naruto would be out to kill her, he had already killed for far less. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make. As much as she cared about Naruto, Hanabi and his Sekirei, Chiho ultimately eclipsed them all.

The details were sketchy on how Naruto had taken down Mutsu and beaten Mikogami Hayato but everyone assumed that his Sekirei had done most of the work. MBI records corroborated most of this as their satellites had caught Naruto's Sekirei taking out the majority of Mikogami's. Everything that happened within that dome that had encircled the mansion however had remained a mystery.

What was fact was that Naruto had somehow managed to steal one of Mikogami's Sekirei and he had managed to kill Mutsu. This made many players in the Sekirei game nervous as no one wanted to lose their Sekirei and no one knew how he had managed to take out one of the strongest Sekirei in this game.

Movement and a flash of blue and white drew Uzume's attention back to the bookstore. She could see her target now. Blanc was just leaving the store and carried several books in her arms. Her axe was nowhere to be seen. She was far less dangerous without that. Uzume would have to take her out almost instantly. She needed to be done before Naruto even realized Blanc had been attacked.

In a single motion Uzume lunged from the rooftop and shot towards her target. Time seemed to slow down as Uzume streaked through the air. Her vision became hyper-focused and she noticed every single detail of her target. She could pick out each individual strand of hair, every pour on her face, the slight coloring in her cheeks, even the shocked look in her eyes as she stared right at her.

She even noticed Hanabi exiting the store next door.

Shit!

She hadn't known Hanabi was here as well but there was no time to back out. She had to end Blanc now, instantly. Uzume used her chakra to manipulate her veil. Six tendrils shot out and wrapped themselves around Blanc's body. She yanked on them and forced Blanc's limbs apart. Her books clattered to the ground.

"God damnit you bitch! What the hell is this!" Blanc shouted as she struggled against the restraints.

Uzume would have to move fast, she could already feel Blanc overpowering her. The small Sekirei was unbelievably strong. She wrapped her last strip of cloth around her right arm and formed it into a drill. "I'm sorry." Uzume said softly as she thrust the drill into Blanc's chest.

Blood splattered across Uzume's face and body as her drill pierced flesh.

But it wasn't Blanc she had hit.

Uzume could only stare in shock and horror. This was impossible; this should not have been possible. He had been over four blocks away. She never wanted to kill him. She never wanted to hurt him. But no matter how much she tried to deny it, the truth stood there before her with murder in his eyes.

And her arm through his heart.

Naruto cough up some blood as he glared at the veiled Sekirei. He raised a shaky hand and gripped her arm tightly, "I will NOT allow anyone else I care for to die! **NEVER AGAIN!**" Naruto roared as he violently ripped Uzume's arm from his chest. A fountain of blood gushed from the wound but Naruto seemed heedless to the injury.

To make matters worse Blanc had finally ripped her arms and legs free from her restraints. She had failed to take down Blanc and she knew Naruto would never give her a second chance. She had failed, and now her Ashikabi was going to die.

A swirling ball of energy suddenly appeared in Naruto's hands. Before Uzume could even think of retreating Naruto lashed out. "**Futon: Rasengan!**" Naruto shouted as he slammed the wind enhanced Rasengan into Uzume's chest.

Uzume could only look on as death approached her. At least she didn't have to worry about choosing between Chiho and Naruto anymore.

"NO! NARUTO-KUN STOP!" Hanabi screamed out in a panic as she rushed towards them.

As pain tore through her body Uzume idly noted that Hanabi's eyes looked strange. Naruto's attack lifted her body from the sidewalk and threw it across the street. Uzume slammed into the wall of the convenience store across the way and slid boneless to the ground.

Naruto and Hanabi quickly bolted across the street, each for different reasons.

Naruto didn't know why Hanabi had cried out but the panic in her voice caused him to react anyways. He had tried to stop the attack the moment Hanabi had screamed but it had been too late. The damage had already been done. He wanted to know what it was she had seen that caused her to scream like that.

Naruto could only grimace as he stared at the nasty wound in the chest of the assailant. He could see her ribcage, what was left of it anyways. Her muscles were shredded and her organs were exposed. Thankfully none of them were damaged but it would only be time before she bled out.

She had minutes at most; MBI would never get to her on time.

"Why did you stop me Hanabi?" Naruto asked as he kneeled down before the dying Sekirei.

"Because I know who this is, and so do you." Hanabi said as she reached out and pulled back the veil that covered the Sekirei's head.

It was Uzume.

Naruto almost went into shock when Uzume's pain stricken face filled his view. Hanabi must have seen this the moment she had activated her bloodline. She tried to stop him from killing someone he cared about.

Naruto felt like he had just been punched in the stomach by Tsunade. To save one precious person he had just killed another.

"Why… why Ramen damn it! WHY!?" Naruto shouted. He didn't understand why Uzume would do this, they were friends, they laughed together, cried together, pranked Miya together.

Uzume coughed up some blood and smiled at Naruto, "I guess we're both pretty messed up now huh bro?" Uzume gasped out. She tried to reach out to touch Naruto but failed, her arm fell limp to the ground.

Blanc made her way over and grimaced at the bloody sight. That was a painful way to go. As much as she hated being attacked like that, this was a little much for payback. Her concern shifted to her Ashikabi, her eyes widened in surprise. The hole in his chest was closing at an incredible rate. The heart that had been destroyed was already restored.

"It was Kakizaki wasn't it." Hanabi said softly. It only made sense. She knew Uzume was being blackmailed. She knew that said person was Kakizaki and that he worked for some big shot who owned the Hospital that Chiho was being treated at. She just hadn't realized Kakizaki had forced Uzume to target Naruto and his Sekirei.

Hanabi was kicking herself right now. She should have realized that whoever manipulated Kakizaki from behind the scenes would retaliate in some way after what she had done at the Hospital.

Uzume started to laugh but was cut short as she coughed up more blood, "H-He's scared of you bro." Uzume gasped out, she wasn't referring to Kakizaki in this instance, but his employer. "He's absolutely terrified that you're gonna come for him."

"And 'he' threatened Chiho to force you to attack Naruto's Sekirei." Hanabi finished for her. Uzume nodded slightly, she was too weak to respond to Hanabi's question. "Who is he?" She asked, she had a feeling that Uzume hadn't been referring to Kakizaki.

Naruto snarled and punched the cement sidewalk. The ground shook as the sidewalk splintered and cracked under the force of his blow, "No… No I won't allow this to happen again!" Naruto growled as he reached for his shoulder activated the seal there.

Uzume gathered her strength to speak, "It's… too late for me bro… please… look after Chiho." Uzume knew she was going to die. She only had a minute left at most.

"Don't you dare die on me! I refuse to lose anyone else!" Naruto shouted at Uzume as he unfurled half a dozen scrolls across the sidewalk. "Blanc, Hanabi, keep the bystanders away. I don't care what you do." He barked out the orders. Some people had started to filter into the street to see what the commotion was about.

"Alright." Blanc said as she brought forth her axe from the seal on her body used to store the axe so she didn't need to carry something so obnoxiously large everywhere she went.

Hanabi began to pump enough chakra through her hands so that they began to glow a vibrant blue color and held them at the ready.

The onlookers got the picture and made sure to keep their distance.

"Bro I-."

"Shut up, don't talk, save your strength, I'm not going to let you die on me!" Naruto shouted as he picked up Uzume's dying body and placed her in the center of the six scrolls. Each one had been stretched out so that they overlapped each other at the center and were equal distance apart from one another.

"What-."

"I said shut up." Naruto interrupted her again as he pulled out a strange spherical device from his shoulder. It looked like a perfectly round clear quartz crystal. "Hanabi you said that Chiho's body lacks the ability to produce enough chakra to survive right?" Naruto demanded.

"Yes?"

"Well I just solved her chakra problem." Naruto said as held the quartz crystal just above Uzume's Sekirei Core which was situated directly over the center of the six scrolls.

The two of them, Blanc and Hanabi, stared at Naruto in surprise as they finally realized what it was he was going to do. He was going to transfer Uzume's Sekirei Core from her now ruined body into Chiho's dying one.

"I can't heal your body but I can save your core, and your consciousness. You want to be with Chiho? I'll make sure you're with Chiho forever and ever. You can tease her all you like when you're inside her." Naruto said as he activated the seals on the scrolls and went to work directing the chakra. "So don't you dare die on me! I'm not going to take care of Chiho, you are! So you better damn well live through this!"

Tears began to form in Uzume's eyes and a fierce determination arose from within. What Naruto was proposing should be impossible, but it should also be impossible to live after she rammed her arm through his heart, and she could see that it had already fully healed. It should have been impossible for him to steal Blanc and free Kusano. It should have been impossible for him to do a lot of things, but he did them anyways.

So Uzume held on to hope that once again Naruto could do the impossible. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live on, to be with Chiho, Naruto and everyone else.

A sharp pain ripped through her body as she felt her essence get drawn from her. She cried out in agony but she held on to hope. She clung on desperately to life. She wasn't going to lie down and die here, Chiho needed her.

The pain began to ebb almost as soon as it started. It was a very odd feeling she had now, or rather it was like she couldn't feel anything at all. She felt herself get drawn upwards and into, something. She knew it was the quartz orb. It had to be.

A warm feeling suddenly rushed through her consciousness. She didn't know what it was but it felt safe and comforting. Naruto must have succeeded; she would believe that he had. She closed her mind and drifted off to sleep. She would believe that when she awoke, she would be with Chiho.

Naruto stood up and held the quartz orb in his hand and sighed with relief. The hard part was done. Now all he had to do was get this to Chiho and he could transfer Uzume into her, provided Chiho accepted. That was the easy part. It had taken all of his knowledge and skill to pull it off. It had to be done quickly and it had to be done perfectly. The seals he used were all two-dimensional. He had to use them to form a three-dimensional sealing array on the spot inside the quartz orb with modifications to take into account hosting a living consciousness.

He had also done it within ten seconds. He risked losing Uzume if he took any longer.

It was probably his finest and most difficult Fuinjutsu achievement to date, barring the reality defying one.

The only issue was that the quartz orb was never meant to hold something like this. He could always see fracture lines beginning to appear in it. He had to get this to Chiho within the hour otherwise Uzume was going to be lost.

"Naruto-kun, we have company!" Hanabi shouted, her voice was laced with anger as she saw two Sekirei descend from the sky and land near them.

"Wow, that was impressive." One of the new comers said. Naruto turned to regard them. There were two of them, both female. He had been so busy with the sealing that he hadn't noticed their approach. He should have though, they were both Sekirei, thankfully Hanabi had noticed their arrival.

He didn't recognize them, but Hanabi did, instantly. Hanabi had been glaring daggers at the two women since she noticed them, "Naruto-kun! These are the two that ambushed me at Delta Point!"

Naruto's eyes widened. Something clicked in his mind, memories of Hanabi's verbal description. Now he recognized them. He remembered Hanabi describing what her assailants looked like. These two matched her description exactly.

"I'm so glad you remember us cupcake. The names Ichiya and your eyes are as freaky as ever." Said the Sekirei with purple and yellow body suit that did nothing to hide her ample breasts.

"I'm Toyotama, and I'm afraid our Ashikabi wants that crystal you have there in your hands." Toyotama said as she whirled her staff around, "We were sent to make sure Uzume carried out her orders and to terminate her if she faltered but you handled that for us."

"We had planned to kill the bitch anyways after our Ashikabi was finished with her so thank you for saving us the trouble." Ichiya said with a smirk on her face. She placed a hand on her hip and stretched her hand out. "But like Toyotama said, hand over the crystal and we'll let you be on your way."

"How about I grind you into mulch!" Blanc growled as she whipped around to face off against the two women.

"Leave them to me Blanc; I have a score to settle with them." Hanabi spat out.

"Oh, you want a rematch? If I recall you were the one to run away from us." Ichiya said with a smirk. Although they hadn't been in any condition to continue fighting either there was no reason for Hanabi to know that.

The both of them had trained hard ever since that day to get revenge on Hanabi.

"Leave." Naruto said quietly.

"You think we'll just-." Toyotama started.

"Not you." Naruto said with a deathly calmness as he turned to Hanabi and held the crystal out to her. "Hanabi bring this to Chiho, take Blanc with you."

"You want me to just run…" The words died in Hanabi's throat as she saw what lurked within the depths of those cerulean eyes. She swallowed hard and quickly took the crystal. "Come on Blanc, we need to leave."

"No way I'm-."

Hanabi was at her side in an instant, "We NEED to leave NOW." Hanabi hissed and she literally dragged Blanc away. Hanabi had only seen that look in Naruto's eyes once before but she would never forget it. She had seen it shortly before he had left on a self-assigned mission. It had been just days after Otogakure Shinobi had had infiltrated one of their compounds. Just days after Naruto had seen what was left of Darui and Tenten.

Oto no Kuni had disappeared several days later. The entire country had been turned into a crater. Most people just assumed it had been Madara.

Hanabi knew better.

"Don't think we're going to let you just walk away with that!" Ichiya shouted as she shot towards Hanabi.

She didn't make it two steps before Naruto cratered her into the street. Asphalt and dust shot into the air as fractures rippled outwards from the impact zone. His fist left a deep imprint in her back where he hit her.

"I have wanted to meet you two for a long time." Naruto said quietly as he gazed down at Ichiya dispassionately. "Please don't go so soon. There is so much for us to… discuss."

"You bastard!" Toyotama shouted as she swung her staff at Naruto with all the force she could muster.

The air screamed and shockwaves rippled around the staff as it hurtled towards the blonde-haired shinobi. Naruto simply held up a single hand and caught the staff before it reached him. There was a loud thunderclap as it slapped into the palm of his hand and stopped dead. His clothes billowed around him from the force of the shockwave.

But Naruto himself hadn't been moved an inch.

He gripped the staff tightly, his knuckles went white as indentations and cracks began to appear in the wood. His arm was as hard as steel and no matter how hard Toyotama pulled on her staff she couldn't remove it from Naruto's grasp.

The ground beneath Naruto cracked and splintered as a massive surge of chakra erupted around him. His clothing billowed upwards as his chakra began to surge off him in powerful waves. "You two put my wife into the hospital." Naruto whispered softly, oddly everyone could hear him perfectly clear; it was like nature itself decided to hold its breath. His eyes were emotionless as he stared at Ichiya who was only now picking herself off the ground.

Ichiya picked herself up from the crater and settled into a fighting stance. She wasn't going to let some stupid Ashikabi get the best of her a second time. She analyzed Naruto to try and find an opening to attack him from when she noticed something disconcerting.

His eyes.

He was looking at her but he didn't see her. In his eyes there was no Ichiya, there was no Sekirei, there was no woman.

When he looked at her, he saw nothing.

For the first time in her life she felt completely worthless. Whenever someone looked at something there was always some form of recognition. It would be judged and rated based on everything else that's been seen over the course of a person's life. It is usually a subconscious process and usually no one notices what they are doing unless something strange or unusual appears. Even dirt was recognized, judged and rated, although usually not very high unless you were into agriculture

But right now, in that man's eyes, she was not recognized, or judged, or rated. She was lower than dirt. In his eyes she was completely and utterly worthless.

Ichiya couldn't take it, that look in his eyes, she needed to erase it, make him acknowledge her existence. She exploded in anger, "How dare you think you're better than me!" She screamed and shot forward at breakneck speeds.

She covered the ground in an instant but Naruto was faster. Quicker than you could blink Naruto retaliated with Toyotama's staff. He whipped it around and slammed it into Ichiya's side before she reached him. There was a sickening crack as Ichiya's ribs caved in.

Toyotama hadn't let go of her staff when Naruto had swung. The unfortunate Sekirei was whipped through the air with ease. When her staff hit Ichiya the impacted jarred her grip loose. With a yelp of surprise she was thrown across the street and into the outer wall of the bookstore.

Ichiya collapsed to her knees and held her side. She coughed and gasped as pain shot through her body. She had been lucky that her ribs hadn't punctured her lungs but a good four of them were broken.

Naruto discarded the staff behind him, "Get up." Naruto said as he gazed down at Ichiya emotionlessly, "Get up you pathetic waste of space."

"I'll fucking kill you." Ichiya gasped out as she glared at Naruto.

Naruto didn't bother with a verbal response. He reached out and palmed her face. With an iron grip he lifted her off the ground. "You do not fear me." Ichiya glared at him definitely, "You will." Naruto said calmly and whipped her across the street.

Mortar and brick cascaded down Toyotama's body as she pried herself from the wall she had flown into. She bit off a curse as she glared over at the man responsible for this. She only had time to widen her eyes in surprise before Ichiya slammed into her and she was forced back into the wall.

Naruto slowly made his way across the street. Each step he took caused the ground to crack and splinter. His chakra stilled poured off his body in waves, giving him an ethereal look.

The crowd that had begun to gather when Uzume had attacked was quickly getting larger by the minute. The commotion had brought everyone in the vicinity here to see what was going on. Naruto did not care, he was beyond caring. They would soon wish they hadn't come.

He stopped in the center of the street. His power glowed so vibrantly it provided more luminosity than the streetlights. He watched patiently as Toyotama and Ichiya pulled themselves from the wall.

"Do you know what exists beyond sheer terror?" Naruto asked calmly.

"Fuck you." Ichiya spat out. Anger coursed through her body at the thought of a mere human tossing her around like a rag doll. But behind all that anger, fear began to take hold.

"There's no damn way you're just an Ashikabi!" Toyotama accused him as she eyed her staff that laid upon the ground behind Naruto. She wanted to retrieve it but she doubted the glowing light show would let her.

"Then this will be a unique experience. Let me show you what exists beyond that boundary." Naruto said as he began to concentrate.

_Did you bring the barbeque sauce Kurama?_ Naruto asked.

_Sweet and sour, actually, and yes I did._ Kurama replied viciously. He had been waiting for this day almost as long as Naruto.

_There are two lovely dishes for you to try out. Enjoy this meal. _Naruto replied.

"**Gladly.**" Kurama said as he took control of Naruto's body. The blue glow that surrounded Naruto suddenly shifted colors and became a sickening red. His eyes changed from brilliant blue to a malevolent red and glowed with an eerie light.

An overwhelmingly powerful killing intent rolled off Naruto's body, filling the area. The people that had been gathering in the general vicinity instantly fainted. The two Sekirei that were the focus of Naruto and Kurama's hatred began to tremble in fear.

Neither of them knew what it was they were looking at but they knew one thing for certain.

It wasn't human.

"W-What the hell are you!" Toyotama gasped out as her body began to tremble with uncontrollable fear.

"**I am what all nightmares aspire to be.**" Kurama said as the chakra around him intensified. "**I am a being beyond your ability to comprehend.**" The chakra completely enveloped Kurama hiding him from view.

"**I AM…**" A titanic surge of power erupted from the spot where Kurama had been and spiked hundreds of feet into the air. Like flames taken straight from the deepest pits of hell his power danced in the night sky.

An enormous whirlwind of power and chakra surged in the street covering it from side to side. "**KURAMA!**" He roared out in a deafening voice as the power coalesced into a single mighty form.

That of an eighteen story tall nine-tailed demon fox.

"**And I am the incarnation of destruction!**"

The street was a wide double-lane boulevard but it was far too small to contain Kurama's complete form. The buildings that lined the street were crushed as they buckled under his weight and the pressure of his power. The tops of skyscrapers were knocked clean off as his tails whipped out behind him. His paws sank deep into the street, the asphalt that was designed for vehicles not being able to withstand his full might. Water mains burst and the underground subway tunnel collapsed.

And all across the city the people of Shinto Teito began to flee for their lives. Panic and terror griped the city as Kurama's power and killing intent swept over it like a maelstrom. The police didn't even bother responding. They just threw their guns away and fled.

If the killing intent had been bad before, it was beyond imagining now. If Kurama hadn't sent all the civilians near him into blissful slumber with his earlier display of raw power, what he was radiating now would have killed them. Their hearts would have stopped dead.

The only ones nearby that were still conscious were Ichiya and Toyotama and they were beginning to wish they had followed the others into blissful slumber.

And just when they thought things couldn't get any worse Kurama opened his mouth and roared. Gale force winds and sonic vibrations rippled outwards causing the walls of nearby stores, the ones that hadn't already been crushed, to collapse and windows and doors to buckle and blow out.

The nine-tailed demon fox leveled is malevolent gaze upon the two hapless Sekirei before him. A terrify grin creased his face, "**Dinner time.**" The glee in his voice was palpable.

Before the two Sekirei could respond Kurama opened his maw and chomped down on Ichiya. There was a sickening crunch as bones broke and flesh was rent asunder.

Kurama jerked his head up and opened his mouth. The mangled remains of Ichiya flew out but before it could go anywhere Kurama caught her body in his mouth again and proceeded to devoured her. The sound of crunching bone and tearing flesh could was nearly unbearable to listen to.

Toyotama was frozen stiff. She could only stare on in horror as her partner was eaten alive before her. Sheer terror ripped through her body and robbed her ability to speak or act. As Kurama leveled his gaze on her once more the only thoughts that raced through her mind were ones of disbelief.

There was no way this could be real. This had to be a nightmare.

"**So delicious.**" Kurama said with a vicious grin. "**I wonder if you'll taste just as delectable.**"

Toyotama couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. He bodily functions began to shut down as an overwhelming darkness began to consume her mind. She never noticed, and no longer cared, that she had soiled herself. Even her terror had fled from her mind. Something else began to engulf her. The very cells in her body began to rebel against the whole as they attacked and consumed each other in their attempt to flee the nightmare before them. She began to hallucinate, seeing things that weren't there. Reality itself seemed to lose all color and shape.

Kurama sniffed in and wrinkled his nose at the odorous smell emanating from Toyotama, "**Disgusting human. I think I'll barbeque you first.**" Kurama growled. Kurama spat out a glob of fire and sent it hurtling into the Sekirei. There was a massive explosion as the fireball detonated on contact. All Toyotama could do was just stare up at Kurama emotionlessly as her flesh cooked under the intense flame. She would have been rolling around on the ground in agony, if her body had been capable of responding to external stimuli. Even the nerves in her body had begun to rebel as they twisted and snapped. She couldn't feel anything anymore. "**Ah, much better. The smell of cooked human is always such a wonderful thing.**" Kurama murmured as he went in for the second half of his feast.

Toyotama didn't even notice.

**x~X~x**

"Holy shit!" Blanc cried out as an enormous amount of killing intent slammed into her. She almost wanted to just curl up into a ball and die it was so bad. She looked back and could only gape as she saw Kurama rise up from between the buildings. "Naruto let HIM out?!"

"Keep moving!" Hanabi snapped as she pulled on Blanc's arm. "The further we get away the easier it'll be to resist, just focus on Chiho, on healing her."

They were over five miles away from Naruto now. Hanabi had a feeling this would happen, she was certain she knew what happened to Oto no Kuni. Naruto had wiped it off the face of the planet with a Bijūdama. She doubted he'd go that far inside Shinto Teito, there were too many people he cared about here, but she had known beyond a shadow of a doubt that Kurama was going to come out to play.

"He let KURAMA out to play in Shinto Teito!?" Blanc asked in incredulously, voicing Hanabi's thoughts, as she quickly followed Naruto's wife. She was kind of glad Hanabi had dragged her along. Now she didn't really need any incentive to run away.

"I take it you've met him already?" Hanabi asked. She hadn't been aware of that. She knew Yume had met Kurama, but she hadn't been aware of Akitsu and Blanc.

"Yes, Naruto tried to share some of his clone's memories with me and I got pulled into his mind. Bastard joked about eating me." Blanc grumbled, her anger and embarrassment from back then helped to counter-act some of the killing intent she was feeling now.

After Blanc had found out about Kurama Naruto had taken her and Akitsu aside and explained a few things about him. About what he was like, what he had done, and what he was capable of.

Blanc had accepted everything readily enough. She had already met him so knowing what he was like didn't really jade her perception of him now, although it did help her prepare for what she was seeing and experiencing now.

Akitsu had just shrugged and said her Ashikabi was her Ashikabi. Blanc didn't really know if Akitsu truly understood what it was Naruto was trying to tell her but even if Akitsu did, she probably wouldn't have cared. After everything Naruto had done for Akitsu he could do no wrong in her eyes.

Hanabi almost tripped, "Kurama? Joke?" She'd have to see it to believe it. He had definitely mellowed out after befriending Naruto but enough to joke? With someone he hadn't known for very long? That was something Hanabi wasn't quite capable of believing.

It's not that she thought Blanc was lying; she would just need proof before she accepted it.

"Well he doesn't seem to be in a joking mood now." Blanc glanced back. Her view was blocked as they were forced to smaller buildings with lower rooftops. She could still feel Kurama's presence but it was muted now.

"No, no he's not." Hanabi said. A thought struck her and her eyes narrowed, "Blanc, there are two Sekirei guards at the Hospital. They both probably belong to Kakizaki, or his employer, since they seem to be a constant presence in the area. Can you take them out? I don't want someone interrupting us later." She remembered seeing them during her time at the Hospital; she had ignored them at the time because there was no need to concern herself with them.

That was no longer the case.

"Not a problem."

"Good, because we're here." Hanabi said as they crested the last roof. There was a street between them and the parking lot for the Hospital. They could see the front entrance from here and Blanc's targets. They were obviously Sekirei from the way they dressed, the weapons they carried.

"Take those two out." Hanabi said as she pointed at the two Sekirei, "I'll circle around back and make my way into Chiho's room. You can join me or you can stay on guard out here afterwards, it's up to you."

She entrusted their defeat to Blanc since she didn't want to risk the quartz crystal getting damaged if she went into battle.

"This won't take long." Blanc said as she focused her gaze on the Sekirei wearing the sleeveless kimono. She left blue orbs of energy behind as she swiped her hand in front of her. "_Gefahrlich Stern!_" Blanc shouted as she slammed the axe into the cluster of orbs.

The orbs screamed through the air as they converged on Blanc's target. The blue haired Sekirei didn't wait for the orbs to hit before she made her second move. Using her boots as propulsion she launched herself at the second Sekirei. She broke the sound barrier and quickly overtook the orbs of light she had launched.

Before the Sekirei with the nun-chucks could even respond Blanc barreled into her, shoulder first, at super-sonic speeds. Blanc felt the Sekirei's chest collapse as her shoulder broke all the ribs in her target's chest. Blanc wasn't finished however as the force of her moment wasn't stopped so easily. There was a bone crunching sound as the Sekirei was slammed into the side of the Hospital.

As Blanc settled back to the ground multiple explosions behind her signaled the end of the first Sekirei. A quick glance at the Sekirei she had hit with her Gefahrlich Stern was all she needed to confirm that Sekirei was deactivated. That level of attack wouldn't kill her, but she wasn't getting up again anytime soon, not with those burns.

Blanc returned her attention to the Sekirei she had slammed into the Hospital. This one was unconscious. The blue haired Sekirei pulled her downed opponent from the wall and laid her on the grass. A cursory glance at the back of her neck confirmed her deactivation.

"Well that was certainly quicker than I had anticipated." Hanabi said as she appeared at Blanc's side. She was originally going to go on ahead and let Blanc catch up but it was over so fast she felt that they might as well go together.

Hanabi found herself re-evaluating Blanc's combat potential. She was strong, fast, versatile, and sturdy. She suffered almost no damage from hitting that Sekirei at super-sonic speeds whereas her opponent is going to be in a lot of pain for quite some time.

Blanc did have one critical flaw that was easily exploited but of the few Sekirei that knew what to look for and could exploit it, only one of them wasn't a close friend or companion of her husband.

"Perhaps they should have trained more." Blanc said as she put away her axe. If they were going through the window it probably wouldn't fit anyways.

"Maybe..." Hanabi trailed off, although she doubted any training these two could have done would have helped them survive that level of a surprise attack. "Let's go."

Blanc quickly fell into step behind Hanabi as the latter made her way around the side of the Hospital to the back. Chiho's room was several floors up. Hanabi quickly ran up the side of the wall to the window of her friend's room.

The window was open, good, that made things easier.

Hanabi glanced down at Blanc and pointed at the window before she quickly made her way inside. The lights were off in the room, which was of no surprise. It was pretty late now. The bookstore had closed only a couple hours before midnight. Chiho liked to have fresh air breeze into her room while she slept. Being five floors up the worst she had to worry about was insects, which were few and far between in a city like Shinto Teito.

There was a noise at the window as Blanc clasped onto the edge and hoisted herself into the room.

"So she's Chiho." Blanc whispered so as to not disturb the girl. Blanc had never visited her; she hadn't really felt the need. She had her books, she had her sisters, she had her Ashikabi and now she had her computer. She was happy with everything she already had.

But Blanc had heard a lot about her from the conversations with Uzume at the dinner table or from Hanabi whenever she returned from one of her visits with her friend.

"Yes." Hanabi said as she approached Chiho's bedside.

A yellow flash momentarily blinded Blanc. She cursed and rubbed her eyes to clear the spots. Her eyes had been adjusted to the darkness so the sudden flash of light had been moderately painful.

"Oh good you're here already." Naruto said with a sigh of relief.

"Ichiya and Toyotama?" Hanabi asked.

Naruto grimaced, "Erm, I'd rather not talk about that. I'm probably going to have indigestion."

That train of thought made him recall something from earlier, _Really Kurama? 'I am the incarnation of destruction'_? Naruto asked his tenant. To him it sounded incredibly corny.

_Hey, it sounded imposing at the time so I went with it._ Kurama defended himself. _What was I supposed to say? Hi! I'm the Tooth Fairy?_

_You didn't really need to say anything at all._

_When you get out as little as I do you need to make a big deal of it._ Kurama fired back.

"Kurama didn't really eat them did he?" Blanc asked in apprehension. Sure he had been joking with her when he had asked to eat her in Naruto's mindscape but considering how angry he had been back there she wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he had.

"The sacrifices one must make to keep one's inner furry happy." Naruto said with a dramatic sigh. Blanc blanched and turned away. That response conjured up more than one disturbing image.

"Hanabi-chan? Naruto-kun?" Chiho asked quietly as she roused from her slumber. Naruto and Hanabi were at her side instantly. There were tears in Chiho's eyes as she looked up at them. "Uzume-chan is…"

"Right here." Naruto said as he took the crystal orb from Hanabi. There were definitely more cracks and fractures in it than before. The crystal wouldn't last much longer. "I'm sorry, it's my fault Uzume is..."

Chiho reached out and touched the side of Naruto's face. She gave him a gentle smile, "Don't be sorry." Her gaze rested on the crystal, "Uzume-chan is in there?" Chiho asked softly.

Naruto gave her a sad smile and handed her the crystal, "Yes, her power, her consciousness, everything that made Uzume, Uzume."

Chiho cradled the crystal orb to her chest and smiled at it. "Yes, I can feel her in here." Chiho knew that warmth anywhere. Even if Naruto hadn't said anything, she would have known that this was Uzume.

"I'm sorry, the crystal won't last very long." Naruto whispered, "When it breaks Uzume will disappear. The only way I know how to save her is to place her inside a new body."

"I'll do it." Chiho replied firmly. There was fierceness in her eyes Naruto had never seen before.

Naruto's look became serious, "Are you sure? This isn't a decision to make lightly. Once made, it can never be unmade." He wanted to be absolutely sure that Chiho wanted to share a body with Uzume.

"I love Uzume-chan, I don't want to be separated from her. If she needs a new body I'll gladly accept her into my own. Having her inside me is hardly a burden Naruto-kun." Chiho said as she beamed a smile at the blonde-haired Shinobi.

Naruto laughed softly, "Thank you Chiho, and I have a surprise for you as well. With Uzume inside you Hanabi can cure you of your illness." Naruto said with grin.

"Really?" Chiho asked hope and eagerness in her voice. To be able to walk again, to be able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine on her own two feet. It was something she had dreamed of for so long.

"Yes, umm, also I'll need you to take off your shirt and hold the crystal between your breasts. The Sekirei's core is normally located in the center of the chest and I don't want to risk complications by trying to do the transfer through cloth." Naruto replied as he moved around to the other side of the bed.

Chiho quickly complied and pulled her shirt up over her head. She tossed the shirt to the side of the bed and held the crystal tightly to her chest. The light color in her cheeks made her look cute in the dim light that filtered in through the window. Chiho was embarrassed at being exposed in front of Naruto but if there was a man she wanted to show herself to Naruto would be him.

Naruto bent over the bed and placed his hands on top of the crystal. He ignored the gentle swell of Chiho's breasts. This wasn't the time to get distracted by them, even if they were quite lovely and he very much wanted to plant kisses…

Naruto shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand, this was no time to be distracted by his perverted side.

The crystal contained inside it a complex three-dimensional array made up bits and pieces of six two-dimensional arrays. Unlike his transfer of Yashmia's core to Hanabi or what the Namikaze couple had done with Yuri and Iris this was a complete transfer. Everything would copy over.

Realistically Hanabi was an incomplete Sekirei, she had the powers, and the bond, but most of the complex functionality that was built into a Sekirei did not exist within her.

Chiho would be a complete Sekirei. While there were some aspects of the sealing array he would have liked to not include in the transfer, there was no way he could have guaranteed the complete and total transfer of Uzume's consciousness without including everything else that made her a Sekirei. It was an unfortunate requirement if he wanted to include Uzume's complete consciousness. Normally a Sekirei's consciousness wasn't attached to the seal itself, it was merely affected by it. He had to create a new component to add to the Sekirei sealing array so that it could house a foreign consciousness. Thankfully he had a template to work from, himself.

While he transferred Uzume's core, consciousness, the sealing array and everything else from the orb into Chiho Hanabi would be busy smoothing out the flow of chakra inside Chiho's body. She would also help link up the core with Chiho's own chakra network.

Naruto activated the seal and went to work. As it unravelled he channeled it downwards into Chiho's body. He couldn't see what was going on but he could feel the Sekirei sealing array flowed into her body. He could sense as the various parts unravelled and flowed into the various parts of her body.

"Interesting, the sealing array is actually adapting itself to its new body." Hanabi murmured as she witnessed what was going on. If Hanabi didn't know better she would have assumed that the sealing itself had an awareness.

Hanabi thought about that and realized that may not be too far from the truth. The sealing array was attached to Uzume's Core and her consciousness. Chiho had been Uzume's Ashikabi before this. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that it was Uzume that was unconsciously adjusting the sealing array to better fit Chiho.

"Sometimes I think I could spend a lifetime analyzing this sealing array and still never come close to unravelling all of its secrets." Naruto said as he worked on bringing Uzume's core from the crystal. It was the last component he had to bring across.

"I almost wish I could convince you not to even try." Hanabi replied as she made a couple of incisions in Chiho's chakra circulatory system. She began to redirect the severed ends to locking mechanism on the Sekirei Core. "I don't think anyone should have the knowledge and capability of replicating something like this."

"I have no intention of replicating it." Naruto replied as he finalized the connection between the chakra coils and the Sekirei Core.

"I know." Hanabi said distractedly as she watched the chakra from the core flow into Chiho's coils. This was actually the most dangerous part. Uzume's chakra was different from Chiho's, there could be some rather nasty consequences of mixing the two.

"Any problems?" Naruto asked.

"None that…" Hanabi frowned and quickly jerked a hand over to Chiho's abdomen. "Not any more at least. It's interesting to watch, the chakra from the Sekirei core has almost completely replaced Chiho's. I don't think her chakra producing organs ever fully developed; at least they didn't fully develop the ability to produce chakra. Their normal functions are perfectly fine." Hanabi said as she watched those organs stopped producing chakra entirely and began to rely exclusively on chakra from the core. "I don't think there will be any more complications. The body seems to have realized it doesn't need to produce chakra anymore and has fully accepted the chakra from the Sekirei core."

Naruto retrieved the crystal orb, it was badly cracked now but it was still in one piece, it wouldn't hold a Sekirei core ever again, "How do you feel Chiho?" Naruto asked as he looked at her.

"Bro, you are amazing!" Chiho said with awe and happiness.

"Uzume!" Hanabi gasped. "Where's Chiho?"

"I'm here." Chiho replied with a blush.

"That's going to get confusing." Naruto muttered as he brushed a hand through his hair, "Glad it worked out though." No need to tell them this was completely experimental, on the fly, and totally shouldn't have worked. Naruto grinned at them, "Congratulations, you're now Sekirei No. 10, Chiho."

"Chime."

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"We've decided on Chime." Chime responded. "Since Uzume and I are together now as one, our names should be joined as well. Chi-ho and Uzu-me. The first part of my name and the last part of hers, Chime."

"Chime…" Naruto tasted the word on his lips. After a moment he nodded and grinned, "I like it." He glanced over at his wife and the grin left his face, "What's wrong Hanabi?" Naruto asked in concern.

Hanabi had a rather serious expression on her face. Naruto hoped that a complication hadn't arisen.

"She's a full-fledged Sekirei now right?" Hanabi said after a moment of silence.

"Well yes, the entire Sekirei sealing array and Core was transferred. Unlike you she is 100% Sekirei."

Hanabi quickly shifted to the head of the bed and tilted Chime's head to the side. She pulled her forward and looked at the nape of her neck. A small frown creased her face.

"What's wrong Hanabi-chan?" Chime asked in concern.

"No crest." Hanabi said as she stared at the smooth unmarked skin, "She's an unwinged Sekirei." She turned to look at Naruto. "Naruto-kun, wing her now."

Naruto coughed on his spit at the abrupt demand, "Wait what? What about your whole issue with me shacking up with the entire city?" He had no issues with it personally. He liked both Uzume and Chiho. Having both of them in the same body could only be fun. However he already had four women and Hanabi was basically telling him to take a fifth?

"Naruto-kun!" Hanabi growled, "I refuse to let some random stranger put his paws all over my friend!"

Naruto started to protest, "I'm not just going to force myself on her. I didn't just take out Mikogami to replace him with my-."

He was cut off as Chime grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanked him his head down and captured his lips with her own. His complaints died instantly and he leaned into the kiss. Her lips tasted sweet as the two passionately kissed each other.

A dozen brilliant delicate white wings erupted from Chime's back as the two continued their kiss. The wings were curved and waved gently in the breeze coming from the window. The room was bathed in a soft white light.

After what seemed like an eternity the two separated and the wings faded away. Chime panted softly, her face flushed with excitement.

"That was better than I had imagined." Chime said with a soft smile. She had always wondered what it would be like to kiss a man, in particular to kiss Naruto-kun. Ever since that night Naruto-kun visited Hanabi.

"I enjoyed it as well." Naruto always enjoyed kissing pretty women and Chime was definitely at least that.

Chime smiled up at him, "Well bro, I think it's time for round two, there's two of us in here now, you need to work twice as hard to please us." Chime said as she dragged Naruto's head back down for a second passionate kiss.

Hanabi smiled at Chime and Naruto and turned to Blanc, "We should get going."

"What about Naruto?" Blanc asked curiously as she watched Chime stick her tongue into Naruto's mouth.

"I think they're going to be busy for a while." Hanabi said as she grabbed Blanc's shoulders and guided her towards the window.

Naruto broke the kiss and looked up at Hanabi, "You're leaving me here?"

"Have fun Chime!" Hanabi said as Blanc climbed out the window and jumped to the ground below.

"Hey wait a minute." Naruto started to protest. As much as he wanted this, wasn't this a little soon?

Unfortunately Chime didn't think so as the bed sheet rose up and wrapped itself around Naruto's arms. Using her new found powers, and Uzume's experience, Chime used the bed sheet to force Naruto down onto the bed beside her.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Naruto said as the bed sheets forced his arms apart and tied his wrists to the headboard. "A very bad feeling."

"Don't worry bro, it'll become a very 'good' feeling soon." Chime said as she pulled her pants off and tossed them to the side with her shirt. Naruto didn't really have the chance to truly appreciate Chime until now but he could only admire her modest, yet shapely, breasts and the flawless sanctuary between her legs.

Hanabi grinned and gave Naruto one final wave farewell, "Don't be late for breakfast! You know how Miya-san hates tardiness." Hanabi said and climbed out the window.

"Hey Hanabi! Wait… oh my… "

* * *

**Author's Notes:** So what did everyone think of this chapter? Chime! I was debating on leaving her name as Chiho but in reality it really is more of a combination of the two instead of just one or the other. They can swap who's in control at a moment's notice but both are constantly aware of the other, and what they are thinking. Their emotions also merged into one.

I also bet no one saw it coming. Not until this chapter. This is my unique take on curing Chiho. This chapter is ALSO why I put Hanabi in the Hospital. Because she was hospitalized Chiho, Hanabi, Uzume and Naruto all became very close so that when it came time for the winging, Hanabi wanted it, Naruto was fine with it, Uzume wanted it and Chiho wanted it. No need to build any sort of relationship because it's already there. The whole Higa thing was just a side tidbit that I used to help kick start Hanabi's digging for information, and to antagonize you my readers, hehe, nothing like a bit of drama and suspense to garner a reaction.

Also Kurama… well… That was another scene I've always wanted to write long before I put pen to paper. No one ever has Naruto go Kyubi in their stories, not any that I've read anyways. It's kinda sad. I wanted to write a scene where Kyubi appears in the middle of Shinto Teito and I wanted to write a scene depicting everyone literally shitting their pants and running as a result. I couldn't just toss it in anywhere though. I needed a good reason, I didn't want to just make one up just for the sake of having him go "BAM! I'M THE BOOGEY MAN!" so I figured the best place to write it in was alongside the whole Uzume scene.


	23. Chapter 22: Extra

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: Oddly enough this chapter wasn't planned, whipped it up the past few days. I had originally planned to just have a couple pages of internal monologue by Yume at the start of the next chapter. However after everyone wanted to know more about the outcome of the last chapter I decided to write a full-fledged chapter. It was meant to be short and succinct and it turned into this... Anyways I'm not sure if it's up to my usual quality but here you go, it's basically the aftermath of the last chapter. An Extra chapter, which is why it's out earlier than a week after the previous. And since I spent some time on this don't expect the next chapter out for a while unless I get struck by divine inspiration or something.**

**Um, also, if you're not of legal age, you should skip the first section of my story. Naruto and Chime's 'morning after' includes a little exercise on the side. Just something minor, I'm not a very good writer when it comes to those scenes so I didn't really try to do anything fancy.**

**Review Responses:** Wow, overall the responses I got last chapter were overwhelmingly positive. Kind of makes me nervous to post any more chapters, afraid I'll let my readers down by the succeeding chapters not being as awesome as the previous one.

Anyways I had some comments last chapter that I should tone down the Naruto 'kicking ass and taking names' bit. I have even seen some comments along a similar vein in the reviews of the other Sekirei/Naruto crossovers, that my Naruto is too much of a 'Gary Stu.' I will admit this has left me more than a little confused. Over the course of my story virtually everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong for Naruto so I'm having difficulty trying to figure out how to 'tone it down' without killing the poor guy.

Naruto is too powerful for any of the Sekirei to beat him in a straight up fight. Even Miya would probably lose, while she could probably match him with sheer power he is highly unpredictable and has a wide range of tactics available. Those of you that have issues can moan as much as you want but whenever punch comes to punch Naruto is going to steamroll his opponents. There's no way I can make him realistically lose unless he deliberately handicaps himself and in the case of Mikogami and Higa's Sekirei there was absolutely no reason to do that.

The above is why I find other ways to make Naruto suffer or lose or struggle in some way shape or form because when it comes to a pure slugfest it's not realistic. Sometimes the scenarios that appear or tools I use to do that aren't always perfect and don't always fit exactly, but I try my best anyways because it's really the only way to show that Naruto isn't a perfect unstoppable juggernaut.

When thinking of a name for the fusion of Uzume and Chiho I had thought of two different possibilities: Uzuho and Chime. I went with Chime for two reasons. The first reason was that the Chime is the name of two instruments that creates lovely sounds: Standard chimes and wind chimes. I felt that also worked with the situation since there are two people now in one body. Plus wind chimes are, as the name implies, associated with wind and I've always viewed Uzume as someone who dances gracefully in the wind striking suddenly with her veil as opposed to an 'in your face' type person. Again it works, at least in my universe anyways.

The second reason is not nearly as beautiful, Uzuho to me sounded kind of like a whore's name. An alias someone would take when they were to prostitute themselves out without letting the world know who they were. I apologize to anyone if they actually have that name, I don't mean to imply that you are a whore, that's just the way it sounds like to me due to how slang has developed in Canada. Ho is short form for whore and ending a name with that just leaves me with that impression.

I may have gone into too much detail about the computer, but at least now it's very easy to envision what it looks like ^_^. I won't be describing it ever again but you can basically assume whenever there is a computer screen, it's that screen, and when there is a keyboard, it's that keyboard and so on and so forth. And anyone that knows computers knows I could have gone into A LOT more detail if I wanted to. FSB speeds, amount of L1 and L2 cache, motherboard, power supply, Ethernet cards, sound card, cooling systems, etc., etc.,

Again, I'm going to say this bit about Naruto's Sekirei, I've already said it multiple times.

I'll allow up to 7 AT MOST, but I'll probably end at 6, Sekirei into Naruto's swarm.  
There were 4 'planned' Sekirei from the very start: Hanabi, Yume, Akitsu and Chime.  
So far there's been 1 Extra Sekirei: Blanc

There is still room for 1, if not 2, more extra Sekirei. So if I decide to throw Miya-chan in, there's still room. And yes god damn it I'm going to cling to that 'maybe Miya' shtick until the chapter I throw her in.

Not that I've already planned it or anything… *cough*

**Chapter 22: Extra**

Naruto rubbed his eye as the sun shone down on his sleepy face. He grumbled in discontent at the unwanted intrusion, he felt so warm and comfortable, like he was wrapped tightly in soft velvety cloth, and the damnable sun was ruining the experience.

With a surge of his chakra a clone appeared into existence beside his bed. Naruto twirled his finger in the air and the clone quickly complied, a few moments later the curtains were drawn over the window blocking out the offensive intruder.

With a sigh of content he let his hand drop and rest lightly on the back of his companion. With gentle circular motions he began to rub her back, eliciting small murmurs of content.

"Mmm, that feels nice."

Naruto opened his eyes and glanced down at his companion. Her wealth of brown locks flowed across the bedspread that was wrapped around their bodies tightly. He could see a light smile her sleepy face, "Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" Naruto asked, stopping the motions of his hand.

Chime cracked an eye, her smile changing into a mischievous grin, "Ya, but I don't mind, last night was fun wasn't it bro?" To emphasis her point she moved a hand between his legs and gently caressed him. A soft moan escaped from her mouth as Naruto stiffened inside her. They had fallen asleep last night together joined as one.

"I have no complaints, although did doing it suspended from the ceiling was certainly a new experience. I never knew a woman's body could bend like that." Naruto said as he rolled over, pinning Chime beneath him, and kissed her soundly.

Chime pulled her arms out from beneath the covers, "Mmm, there are many things about a woman you don't know yet." She said as she stretched her arms out above her head. "There were many things I wanted to try out with Chiho, never thought I'd get to try them out on you with her instead."

"Chiho had some pretty wild ideas as well." Naruto pointed out as he began to slowly pump in and out of her. She was still wet inside, filled with his seed.

A small chuckle escaped Chime's lips, "I never thought my little baby Chiho would ask that of you. I think that's the first time anyone's ever been gang banged by the same person."

"Well, the memories I got back from them were certainly amazing. Speaking of Chiho, how is she doing?" Naruto asked with both concern and curiosity evident in his voice. Yesterday had been a rather trying day for them all.

Chime smiled up at Naruto and kissed him again, her hips began to move in time with Naruto's, "She's asleep right now, I'm surprised she lasted the whole night, she probably won't be up for a while-Ah!" She gasped as Naruto began to pick up speed.

She loosened the sheets and quickly wrapped her legs around Naruto's waist. Their lips met and tongues danced around one another. The sweet smell of her arousal wafted into his nose, urging him on harder, faster. Their hands danced across each other's bodies, caressing sensitive areas.

With a cry of ecstasy Chime was driven over the edge. Her legs tightened around his waist as she slammed him into her as far as he could go. She clamped tightly around him as her body tried to milk him for all he was worth.

That was all it took for Naruto. The overwhelming heat and passion, her sweet scent, the powerful yet gentle caress of her sanctuary, it was simply too much. With a soundless shout he released himself into her, filling her once again.

"Wow, even after last night you still had that much left." She could feel his seed seeping into her womb. She hoped that this week was a safe week for her former Ashikabi. Otherwise she'd be cooking something in her oven very shortly. "You really are a lascivious beast." She laughed, "Oh Miya doesn't know what she's missing."

"I don't think Miya is too interested in this, she was married you know." Naruto said, there was a hint of remorse in his voice.

Chime gave Naruto an incredulous look. He couldn't be that oblivious of Miya's affections, could he? Miya was pretty much shouting out her interest in him. Everything from the way she addressed him to the way she treated him was on a completely different level than everyone else. She did not see him as just another tenant at her Inn.

But that was something for Naruto and Miya to sort out. She'd just have to tease Miya behind Naruto's back.

"What's wrong?" She asked suddenly, she felt it through the bond, remorse and sadness. That definitely wasn't associated with Miya.

Naruto broke down and hugged Chime tightly, "I'm sorry Uzume… I…" He choked back a sob. His eyes were shut tightly as he tried to hold back the tears. His excessive response to the attack on Blanc had nearly killed Uzume. There were plenty of ways he could have dealt with the attack but he immediately utilized a lethal strike without thinking.

She hugged him back just as tightly, "Hey now, none of that. I attacked Blanc remember? If anything I should be the one saying sorry." She was the one that had nearly robbed him of one of his Sekirei and literally tore his heart out in the process.

"I nearly killed you."

"I nearly killed you too." Chime pointed out as well.

"I'm trying to say sorry here!" Naruto laughed and cried at the same time.

"Well don't!" Chime said as she bopped him on the head, "However…" Another mischievous grin creased her face, "You could SHOW how sorry you are."

He stiffened inside of her.

"Wow, ready to go again? Shall I take that as a yes?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I was able to handle four women at the same time for over eight consecutive hours. You can't exhaust me." If he could handle everything Hanabi, Akitsu, Yume and Blanc could throw at him and still have some left over there was nothing Chime could do to slow him down.

"I'll take that as a challenge bro."

"Should we wake Chiho before we start?"

"Nah, I love Chiho but sometimes it's nice to have you all to myself."

The two shared identical grins. Their lips met once more and the love making began again.

**x~X~x**

"I still can't believe you didn't wake me up Uzume-chan." Chime said with a pout. The two of them, Chime and Naruto, were walking back to Izumo Inn. They had building hopped for a short distance but the limp in Chime's step made it difficult so they had opted to simply walk back normally after making it half the distance.

Neither of them particularly minded the delay, it gave them time to simply talk before they made it back to the rambunctious Izumo Inn. It was difficult to have a one on one talk in that place.

"Sorry Chiho, Naruto didn't really give me any time to wake you, he was pretty insistent. He ravished me with his beastly urges!" Chime said as she gestured with her hands what Naruto had done to her.

Chime's face lit up with a blush. Memories of what Uzume-chan had been doing to Naruto-kun with her body flashed across her consciousness. The position had been especially bad, she had no idea she could do that.

"My legs aren't supposed to bend that much!" She protested.

She didn't particularly mind waking up to that but some warning would have been nice. Uzume had thought it funny to suddenly throw her to the forefront just as she awoke. One moment she had been peacefully asleep and the next all she could feel was Naruto-kun furiously pounding into her with her legs wrapped around his neck.

The sheer discrepancy between the two states had been rather jarring. It had taken nearly an hour for the blush to die down. Uzume's laughter in the back of her head hadn't helped very much.

"They seemed to bend just fine to me. Should have seen the position before, now THAT took some doing. That's why we're limping by the way, I might have pulled something; I'll have to work on limbering you, us, up!"

"Uzume-chan!"

"I imagine you would look very odd if someone saw you talking to yourself." Naruto said with an amused grin on his face. The changes of expression that Chime went through when the dominate personality swapped from Uzume to Chiho was simply remarkable. It was very obvious that there were two completely different people in there.

Thankfully however the streets were completely barren. In fact Naruto hadn't seen a single car or person since they had left the Hospital. It was like everyone was hiding in their basement or something.

Naruto couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"You're right, where is everyone?" Chime asked as she looked around, "Now that I think about it the people at the people at the reception desk were positively spooked." The hospital had also become incredibly busy.

There had been a major influx of injured, both minor and critical, overnight. Something major had happened between the time Naruto had sealed her away and this morning.

"Oh… ah ha… ummm…" It suddenly clicked for Naruto. It hadn't occurred to him right away because Kurama was a close friend and companion. He had never really considered him something to be frightened about, not even before the two had become friends.

Chime gave Naruto a side-long glance and sighed, "Bro… what did you do this time?" She asked.

"What makes you think I did anything?" He asked as he nervously scratched the back of his head.

Uzume gave him an even look, "Because I know you. You've always done something, it's just whether or not anyone can prove that you did something."

"Ah, well, you see there were these two Sekirei... They were particularly interested in the quartz orb that held your consciousness. I sort of protested. It may or may not have been a little excessive?"

"How excessive are we talking about bro? Because the streets weren't this empty after the civil war we had."

"Oh it was something minor, just an unleashatwentystorytalldemonlordonthecity type thing, you know." He said as quickly as he could.

Chime stopped as her mind processed what her Ashikabi had just said. "Wait you what?" Her voice was laced with disbelief.

Naruto shuffled his feet nervously. The other's had accepted it pretty easily, Hanabi had already known, Yume had found out long before she had become his Sekirei so had time to get used to it, Blanc had been introduced in a much calmer manner and Akitsu would accept virtually anything.

He could see Uzume accepting it but the big question was Chiho. How would she view him?

"Did you just say demon lord?"

"Maybe?"

"How… no wait where did you find something like that?" Chime was having a hard time believing that. A demon lord? Weren't they fictional characters? Something made up to scare little girls and boys into behaving good?

"Well… when I was a child-."

"Be serious bro."

He grimaced, "I am being serious." That got their attention, "When I was a child a demon lord attacked my village. My father sacrificed his life to seal it away in a prison, a human prison."

"So your dad stuck a demon lord inside you and you just unleashed it on the city? Where is it now? I can't imagine it decided to take up baby-sitting."

_Hell no I wouldn't, living through your childhood was enough for me._ Kurama said, he shuddered to imagine what it would be like to be swarmed by dozens of little brats.

"It was a temporary thing. He's back inside me and he's not as bad as you think he is." Naruto said. Chime raised an eyebrow as if to say 'are you kidding me.' He ignored the look and raised his eyes to the sky, crossing his hands behind his head as he did so. "I befriended him later on. It seems he had been forced to attack my village and he's actually a pretty good guy once you get to know him. He was simply called a demon because no one really bothered to get to know the guy. Every time he appeared and was blamed for a disaster there had been someone in the shadow controlling him." It was actually very difficult to find an incident where Kurama had actually gone out and destroyed stuff. Virtually every single time he had caused a disaster he had been under someone's control or simply fought to protect himself. "I unleashed him because the two Sekirei that demanded the quartz crystal were the same ones that put Hanabi in the Hospital: Ichiya and Toyotama. He wanted to give some payback on Hanabi's behalf."

"Ichiya and Toyotama." Chime spat the names out like a curse, "Higa's blood hounds. They always tailed me to make sure I did as that bastard ordered." In her mind that excused everything. Killing those two was doing the world a favor.

"Well they won't be tailing anyone ever again." He said as he carefully wrapped an arm around Chime's shoulders. He was a little hesitant, hoping she wouldn't push him away but she seemed to accept it.

"Good, hope their deaths were excruciating."

"Kurama, that's his name by the way, the name of the demon lord, ate them alive. That's a pretty painful way to go if I'm not mistaken. From what he told me, Toyotama literally shat herself before the end there."

"Good job Kurama!" Chime said as she kissed Naruto soundly on the lips. "Almost wished I was there to see those bitches get what they deserved." She said with a vicious smile on her face. She tried to envision what it was like and came up short. A curious look crossed her face, "What type of demon lord is he?"

"He's the Kyuubi, a nine-tailed demon fox." Naruto said.

Well that was easy to envision, unfortunately it brought a whole slew of potential problems along with it.

With a groan Chime palmed her face, "Bro, you don't know much about Japanese mythology do you?" Another groan escaped her lips when Naruto shook his head, "Just great, I hope I'm wrong…"

"Umm, Naruto-kun?" Chime asked as Chiho took over.

"Yes?" Here it was Chiho's reaction to the revelation.

"Well if you have a fox inside you, do you get any accessories?" She asked shyly as she glanced at his ears and butt.

"Accessories?"

_OH HELL NO! I have TOO much damn pride for that shit!_ Kurama bellowed from the depths of Naruto's mind.

"Well you know, a fox-tail and ears."

_No way, not going to happen. Kit, as much as I like you, that's not going to happen. I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune! The greatest of the Bijuu! One of the most powerful entities in existence! I'm not going to mark my container with cutesy little bits that make girls sigh and squeal in delight._

_Never would have asked for it._ Naruto replied as he pacified his friend. He never knew Kurama was so passionate about that. Pride was a funny thing.

"Sorry, nothing like that. Unfortunately I'm pure human." Naruto said, much to Chime's disappointment. He could literally see her shoulders sag in disappointment.

He almost wanted to mention that he could simulate it with a transformation but he was certain that Kurama would never speak to him again if he did that.

At least he didn't have to worry about Chiho's reaction to the revelation. She seemed more put-out about the lack of foxy bits than the existence of Kurama.

There was something Chime had mentioned earlier that had caught his attention, something that could be very important, "Anyways, you mentioned something about Higa?" Naruto asked as he guided Chime around the last corner. Izumo Inn rose up in the distance just a little ways down the street.

Chime nodded, "Ya, while Kakizaki was always the one to deliver the orders, they were always Higa's orders. Higa Izumo, heir to Higa Pharmaceuticals, MBI's biggest and really only rival left in the pharmaceutical area in Japan." She hated that man with a passion. All the suffering she had gone through and had forced others to go through had been on that man's behalf.

"How interesting." Well that narrowed the search down quite a bit. With that information Blanc would be able to quickly narrow her search. They had known that Higa Pharmaceutical's owned the Hospital but they hadn't been able to connect Kakizaki with any particular person associated with that corporation.

"Interesting? Are you planning something?" Chime eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes, if Kakizaki works for this Higa then there is going to be a reckoning real soon. This Higa person tried to steal Hanabi's Sekirei core and offer her up as a toy. It's become personal for her."

Chime could understand that, she knew how Hanabi was and with someone like that after you it really was only a matter of time before you were taken out. "You better not leave me behind when you go after him!" Chime demanded. There was no way she was going to sit on the sideline.

"Oh course not; I don't intend to leave anyone out." Naruto said as they walked through the front entrance of Izumo Inn.

"Naruto-kun! Welcome back!" Hanabi called out as Naruto and Chime walked through the front door. She was seated at the table eating breakfast, which consisted of bacon and eggs. On either side of her were Yume and Akitsu. Blanc was sitting at the head of the table half-eating half-reading the tablet she had on the table in front of her.

Homura glowered at the small Sekirei from the wall as he ate his own breakfast. He seemed upset that his normal position at the table had been usurped.

On the other side of the table was Minato and the rest of his Sekirei, little Kusano was sitting in his lap stealing pieces of bacon when he wasn't looking.

Almost as one they all regarded turned to regard Chime curiously. Blanc was the exception as she already knew who it was; she seemed more interested in what was on her tablet. Considering how absorbed she was it was probably a good novel.

"You have arrived just in time Naruto-san." Miya said calmly as she began to put some bacon and eggs onto a couple of plates for the two of them. "It would have been unfortunate if you had not arrived, there would have been so much waste." Naruto had no doubt that she meant it would be unfortunate for him if she had been forced to waste food because he didn't show up.

He could still clearly remember the last time he had missed a meal without telling her.

"I wouldn't even think of missing one of your meals." Naruto said as he placated the landlady.

"Good, and who is this young lady beside you? Has yet another woman fallen to your beastly urges?"

Chime sniffled and some fake tears trailed down her cheeks, "He was so rough, he wouldn't stop no matter how much I cried out. He just kept filling me and wouldn't pull out, he forced his baby into me." She wrapped her arms around her stomach and held it like she was gently holding a baby. Chime sounded so sincere and upset Naruto would have believed her if it wasn't for the simple fact that she was the one that had tied HIM up with her bed sheets.

Of course the others didn't know that.

The silence in the room was almost deafening.

Naruto looked at Hanabi in a panic and said one word, "Help."

Hanabi adopted a disapproving look on her face but he could tell by the look in her eyes that it was taking everything she had to stop from bursting out into laughter.

Naruto didn't feel like laughing, especially when a length of cold steel was pressed firmly against his jugular. Naruto robotically turned his head to regard a glowering Miya. The hairs on her head were beginning to sway in a non-existent breeze as a deep, dark purple aura erupted from around her.

If looks could kill he'd be a pile of ash right now.

"Uzumaki-san…" Miya started, her voice so cold it made the artic feel warm. "Your continued stay at Izumo Inn hinges on your next words."

"I only have one thing to say." Naruto said solemnly as he prepared to unleash the most powerful jutsu his former sensei, Jiraiya, had created. It had been painstakingly created and refined to perfection for just such a situation. "**Run Away No Jutsu!**" Naruto screamed in a panic and bolted for the door, tossing all of his pride and dignity out the window in the process.

"Don't you run away from me!" Miya shouted as she blasted out the door chasing after him.

Hanabi couldn't hold it in anymore. She collapsed in a fit of laughter. The tears on Chime's face disappeared as well as her laughter joined Hanabi's.

"Oh, poor Naruto-kun." Chime said through fits of her laughter.

"Don't worry Chime-san, Naruto-kun is used to it. It's a game they play with each other." Hanabi said as she recovered from her laughter.

The plates on the table clattered as a loud boom shook the house.

"Can someone please explain to me what just happened here?" Homura asked in total confusion. One moment it appeared as if Naruto was a rapist and the next it looked like he was the butt end of a prank.

Matsu stuck her head out from a hole in the ceiling. "It's a soap opera!"

Hanabi shook her head but she couldn't really deny it, sometimes it really did feel like a soap opera here. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Chime-san, an amalgamation of Uzume-chan and her Ashikabi, Chiho-chan." She began, it was going to be an interesting story to tell, although she had no intention of mentioning any connection between Naruto and Kurama. That was his secret to tell.

**x~X~x**

Naruto struggled against the sword that was clasped between his hands. He had caught it just shy of it biting into his head. The force behind the strike had forced him to the ground on his backside.

Miya was in the genuflexion position with one knee between Naruto's legs and the other one at his side. While normally this position was used to signify deep respect, Miya was currently using it to put more power behind her swing so she could cut him in half.

"Die scum-san! The world will be a better place without your beastly desires knocking up every female you come across!" Miya growled as she increased the power behind the strike.

"No! Don't wanna! I like unleashing my beastly desires!" That was the wrong thing to say as Miya's eyes began to glow ominously. "Ah, I mean she was the one that tied me up!"

"Uzume-san has better sense than that!"

Naruto blinked in surprise, "Wait you know- Shit!" The surprise had caused him to loosen his grip on the sword and it quickly flashed between his hands.

Miya's eyes widened in surprise and she quickly redirected her swing to the side, missing Naruto's head by a hair's breath. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief at the near miss, that could have been bad if Miya hadn't been as quick to react as she was.

The landlady was the first to recover as she slowly rose to her feet. "Oh Naruto-san, what are you doing to my Sekirei?" Miya asked.

Naruto wasn't in any hurry to get up, the grass was soft. His eyes became haunted as Miya's question registered in his head. He looked at the house, straight towards Chime as if he could see through the walls. "I almost killed her you know. I didn't know it was her until it was too late. I… I didn't know any other way to save her." He said softly, regret and sorrow laced his voice. Despite Uzume's reassurance this morning this was one more regret he would carry for the rest of his life. Another scar he'd have to deal.

Miya gave him a sympathetic look. "That young girl in there, she is…"

"Was Uzume's Ashikabi." Naruto finished for her. Miya closed her eyes and turned her back to Naruto. She had assumed as much, "She was dying as well, although much more slowly than Uzume. By transferring Uzume's Tama into her Hanabi was able to cure her disability." Naruto continued on.

"Were there any complications?" Miya asked softly.

"None so far. They're both in there now, Chiho and Uzume. I can tell from the bond that they're both happy. Uzume is with Chiho forever and ever. She's also freed from her blackmail situation while Chiho has been cured of her illness." He could feel them both through the bond, two distinct separate people, yet at the same time joined as one. They were both incredibly happy right now, although Chiho also seemed to be incredibly embarrassed at the moment.

That was probably Uzume's doing.

"Good, that's the way it should be." While it was an unorthodox pairing, the happiness between an Ashikabi and their Sekirei were what was most important. She turned back to Naruto, "If there are any complications, let me know." She could help, she was limited in what she could do and it was against the orders she and the other Pillars had been given, but she would break them for Naruto.

"Will do!" Naruto said, he rocked his back and jumped to his feet.

"You should go eat your breakfast before it gets cold and goes to waste." Miya said as she pointed to the front door.

"But you're the one that chased me around the house." Naruto protested as he headed back to the entrance.

"Naruto-san… In." Miya commanded in a firm tone.

"Yes Miya-chan!" Naruto said as he double timed it.

Miya held a hand to her chest as she watched Naruto head in doors. As he disappeared she leaned back against the side of the house and sighed. Her hair cascaded down the sides of her face as she bowed her head.

She couldn't deny it anymore. The way her heart beat faster whenever she saw him, the way her eyes always seemed to involuntarily linger on him, the heat that built up between her legs whenever she thought about being in his embrace.

She cared for Naruto, she cared for him in a way she thought she was not capable of after Takehito-san died. She wasn't even reacting to him, although unlike her Sekirei she couldn't react, not while she was No. 00. She just genuinely…

She refused to think it. To think it would be to betray her love of Takehito-san.

Miya took a deep breath and calmed her raging emotions. She would have to deal with this soon, but not today.

**x~X~x**

"… Can't believe you managed to transfer Uzume's Tama from her dying body to her Ashikabi's." Homura said with shake of his head. There was a look of total disbelief, mixed with more than a little awe, on his face.

"Matsu-tan would be very interested in learning how Narutan managed such a feat." Matsu added as stalked towards Naruto with her hands outstretched.

"Oh my, does Matsu-san wish to experiment on my Sekirei?" Miya asked as she entered the Inn. She had caught the last bit of the conversation.

"Ah-haha, of course not Miya-san! I would never think of doing that." Matsu said as she cautiously backed away from Naruto and Miya, making sure to keep her hands clasped firmly behind her back.

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear, I would hate to lose a tenant because she couldn't keep her experiments under control." Miya said with a sweet voice.

Matsu swallowed hard. "Matsu-tan is a good girl." She said as she sat abruptly in her corner.

Naruto laughed and fired a grin at Homura, "Well, what can I say? I'm awesome."

"You're not human is what you are." Homura said as he eyed Naruto suspiciously. "What are you anyways?"

"I'm a shinobi! I go sneaky sneaky and do shinobi type stuff."

"I've read up on shinobi, and none of them can do what you do." Homura pointed out. He had read a lot about the ancient times, probably more than Naruto. In addition to having a strong knowledge of Japanese history he was familiar with most of the different mythologies from Egyptian Gods to the Greek Pantheon.

Naruto thrust his chest out, "Perhaps I'm superman!"

"More like wonder woman." Chime quipped with a snicker.

Naruto almost did a face plant on the ground right there, "You have no proof!" He yelled hysterically as he jabbed at finger at Chime.

"Well, I do have these photos…"

Naruto's eyes bugged out in horror, "NO! When did you take those! DELETE! DESTROY! ANNIHILATE!" He shouted as he tackled Chime to the ground and began to feel her all over as he desperately tried to find the photos. Chime began to laugh as she batted playfully at Naruto's hands.

"Uzumaki-san!" Naruto stopped pawing his newest Sekirei as a dark aura began to creep around him. "What have I said about illicit activities here at Izumo Inn."

"B-But I'm not! I'm looking for photos…" He suddenly realized that his hands had settled on Chime's breasts and they were both in a very precarious position. "Ah heh… you're going to chase me around the house again aren't you?"

Unfortunately before Miya had the chance to enact a second chastisement on Naruto their attention was draw to the television. The channel, which had originally been airing a cooking show from overseas, changed as emergency protocols were engaged. The scene became one of a podium, decked out with dozens of microphones, with a large black screen displaying the Japanese flag covering the wall behind it.

Standing at the podium was none other than 'Emperor Minaka' himself.

Miya and Naruto exchanged concerned looks while Homura glared at the screen like he was about to reduce it to ash. Matsu's childlike demeanor changed as she stared at the Director of MBI with a serious look.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is I your Emperor, and I have some important information to share with all of you." Minaka said with a huge smile on his face. He looked positively ecstatic.

"Oh great, it's the mad man." Naruto said, annoyed at having his fun with Miya interrupted.

Minaka held his hand and to the side as he gestured to the screen behind him. The image changed to that of the Kyuubi standing in the middle of Shinto Teito with its tails waving behind it.

"Many of you have probably either heard of, or if you were lucky enough to be nearby, felt the presence of this magnificent beast. It's the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the nine-tailed demon fox! Yes, the legend is real!" The grin on Minaka's face was positively maniacal, "His appearance is a great portent of things to come. The Age of God is nearly upon us, and those that are faithful shall be rewarded and accepted into 'His' embrace!"

"Is it just me or did Minaka turn into a religious zealot?" Naruto asked as his head tilted. He already knew the man was insane but this was kind of pushing it.

Was there something beyond insanity?

The scowl on Homura's face deepened

Naruto's eyes narrowed as the image changed once again. Minato and his Sekirei all looked curiously between him and the screen. There on it was a large blown up image of him glowing a brilliant blue color. It was an image taken just before he had unleashed Kurama upon the city. "I would like to thank this man, Uzumaki Naruto, for containing the demon so quickly after he was released. Who knows how many more people could have been killed or injured had his rampage not been stopped so soon after it started." Minaka's eyes seem to gleam an unearthly color as he stared right at the camera. Naruto could also feel his eyes on him, "Thanks to his efforts only three hundred and twenty eight people were killed, and another twelve hundred hospitalized."

Naruto flinched like he had been struck a physical blow. Hanabi and Miya noticed and they both looked at him in concern.

"He almost looks like he's enjoying this." Homura said in disgust.

"And that's it! Have a nice day everyone." Minaka said cheerfully and ended the broadcast abruptly. The screen changed back to the original program.

"What is he doing?" Hanabi asked in disbelief, "He should know that won't be enough to calm the populace. He's going to have riots in the streets if he doesn't actually 'do' something to calm them down."

"Minaka has never done anything the way it should be done." Homura said.

Naruto moved to leave Izumo Inn.

"Where are you going Naruto-kun?" Hanabi asked in concern. She knew the deaths he had caused by letting Kurama out was eating at him.

"I just need some time to think." He said despondently and walked out the door.

"Blanc, Akitsu, go with him, keep him out of trouble please." She asked her sisters. Akitsu didn't ask for clarification, she simply got up and followed after her Ashikabi.

Blanc sighed and handed her tablet to Yume. "Alright, when do you want me to drag his ass home?" Blanc asked as she pushed herself up from the table.

"Bring him home for dinner." Miya said.

Blanc looked at Hanabi in askance and she nodded, "Alright, consider it done." Blanc said quickly left the Inn to follow after Naruto and Akitsu.

**x~X~x**

Sahashi Takami was not in a very good mood as she stomped behind the emperor of Japan. "What the hell was that?" She demanded as the two of them strode through the halls of the palace.

Due to her status and position in MBI and control over the Sekirei Plan she was one of the few people with unrestricted access to Minaka. It also gave her the privilege to speak her mind, provided it was not in a public setting.

Minaka enjoyed her banter; it was always interesting to see how short-sighted she was, although she did have a far greater vision than most of her kind. She was quite intelligent and had a force of presence that few could match. This made her one of the more interesting mortals he was forced to deal with so he kept her around and let her say what she will in private. She knew not to speak her mind in public; he hadn't even need tell her of that.

He enjoyed dealing with intelligent people; they were so hard to come by these days.

"Oh I thought it went quite well actually." Minaka replied as he stroked his chin. The looks on the faces of the reporters was absolutely priceless.

"You're going to have riots in the streets!"

"Only if there are people capable of organizing said riots." It was very easy to simply label the most vocal dissenters as traitors or rebels and have them arrested.

"Sometimes I don't understand what you're thinking." She said in exasperation. She held a hand up to her forehead as she fought back a headache. The headaches were becoming a more frequent occurrence these days.

Trying to clean up after Minaka AND deal with the messes left behind by Uzumaki Naruto was giving her migraines.

The only way things could get worse right now was if Naruto Uzumaki went off and started a second war with Higa Izumi.

"Ah my dear, you just don't have the vision to see what I see. You need to look at the whole picture, the grand design." Minaka said, spreading his arms wide to emphasis his point. "The Sekirei Plan is all about the revival of the Age of God and Kurama's appearance is a major cornerstone of that plan!"

"By doing what? Scaring the people shitless?"

"No, by restoring their faith in the powers almighty. A thousand years ago the Sekirei showed humanity powers beyond their imagining, and they were worshipped. However after a thousand years that faith has dwindled into nothing. Mere stories to be used as basis for fictional writing. With the appearance of an entity beyond their ability to comprehend they will start to believe again. If the Kyuubi no Kitsune exists, then why not the other creatures of legends? And if they exist, why not the Gods that spawned them? They will believe and their belief will act as fuel for the rebirth."

In a very sick and twisted way Takami could see his reasoning, although she really wished she couldn't. "If I didn't know better I'd think you planned this whole thing out. Plus you're assuming there's a god for them to worship." She pointed out, she herself didn't believe in deities but she had to admit that view had been rattled over the past twenty-four hours. She believed in what could be easily quantified. The Sekirei, while alien, at least fit into that category. However that demon that appeared in the middle of Shinto Teito…

That was something she couldn't quantify.

"Unfortunately I can't take any credit for this situation." Minaka said with a little sigh, "And I had so many plans drawn up to force the Kyuubi into the open too, ah well." The emperor turned to Takami and grinned, "As for 'God.' Don't worry Takami-san, there is one, and I'll make sure you're there to see his rebirth." It was the least he could do after all the assistance she had provided over the years.

The two of them left the hallway and entered a large room. It was rather sparse although there was a large table in the center of the room with thirteen chairs situated around it. All the chairs were empty, save one.

"Ah, there you are, glad you could make it." Minaka said as he addressed the man that had been waiting patiently for his arrival.

"Of course Minaka-sama. Your wish is my command." The man said as he rose to greet the emperor. The man wore a long white robe, held on tight by a black belt. A black overcoat was draped across his shoulders. He had unique eyes and his face was framed by long flowing black hair.

"So what do you think of how she's turned out?" Minaka asked the man.

"She's become so beautiful; she has her mother's face. She possesses a tremendous amount of chakra for one of her age and her skills are top notch. She's strong. I am proud of her."

"And weaknesses?" Minaka grinned at the man.

The man struggled for a moment before sighing, "Her blind spot is still there, that should have been fixed by now and despite her incredible viewing distance she is too focused on what is in front of her face to really notice anything a far. She has yet to figure out how to mix the chakra from her core with the chakra from her body. With the level of control she was trained to have she should have figured it out by now." She seemed too absorbed in starting up a new life with her husband than training to become stronger. He was happy that she had found someone, especially someone like him, but she shouldn't be letting her training slack as a result.

"If I asked you to kill her, would you?" Minaka asked, the grin on his face expanded in size.

The man visibly struggled, "I… I…"

Takami glared at Minaka, the damn bastard almost seemed to be enjoying this. "I'll say it again, if I asked you to kill her, would you do it?" Minaka repeated himself. He wasn't doing this just to torture the man, although it was enjoyable watching him squirm.

Her power was simply too problematic.

There had been a reason No. 84 had been chained so completely and given to an abusive Ashikabi. It had been so that he wouldn't have to worry about that particular power getting in his way in the future. He could have simply eliminated her, an accident so to speak, but then he wouldn't have been able to enjoy her suffering. He still didn't know why Junichi had deviated from his original course, he had done everything in his power to keep No. 84 away from those two. The bastard's bleeding heart wouldn't have allowed him to stand by and do nothing while the original No. 84 suffered. If he had known about it before hand he probably would tried to save her like he had with No. 108.

Minaka frowned in annoyance, saving the original No. 84 would have actually been preferable to the current outcome. At least the original would have still been chained to some extent.

Now he'd have to deal with the new No. 84 before he moved onto the final stage of the Sekirei Plan. It was a small wrinkle in his otherwise perfect Sekirei Plan. One he was going to smooth out soon in the most entertaining way possible.

But for now it was fun watching the mortals scramble around below and 'she' was still far away from mastering her power.

Minaka turned his attention back to the man, he seemed to be struggling hard as he tried to resist answering his question. The emperor arched an eyebrow and ended the resistance with a sharp tug on the bond. The smile returned as he watched the man's shoulders sag. A single tear dripped down the side of his cheek, "I would have no choice but to obey, Ashikabi-sama." The man said, completely heart-broken.

Takami's eyebrows rose to her hairlines. This person was one of the twelve Sekirei that Minaka had dug up from somewhere, probably the remnants of one of the other seven ships. And what's more he was implying that he was going to order him to kill 'her'. But who was her? It was obvious from that way he struggled against the Sekirei bond that it was someone important to him.

Recognition dawned on her face, she remembered now, those eyes, she'd seen their likes once before. Aside from the Sharingan they were the most unique pair of eyes she had ever seen.

The smile on Minaka's face was bone-chillingly cold. "Good, continue your observation of her, Hiashi-kun."

**x~X~x**

Naruto had no destination in mind after he left Izumo Inn. He just wandered around Shinto Teito for hours as he mulled over a pair of numbers. The number of people he had killed and injured just to get revenge on two Sekirei.

How could he have been so stupid? Of course unleashing Kurama in the middle of Shinto Teito would cause an incredible scale of destruction. Of course it would kill, maim or otherwise injure countless people.

And for what? He could have ended those two just as easily with his own power as he could have with Kurama's.

With a long sigh he looked up at the sun, judging by its position it was mid-afternoon. The heat was strong, almost oppressive, when combined with the humidity in the air. The walk had done him good but he was drenched in sweat, and not from exertion.

His stomach growled reminding him he had just walked right on past lunch.

He checked the area, hoping to see something to eat when he saw a familiar ramen stand. The same ramen stand he had eaten at the night before. It was then that he realized he had meandered his way into the ruined section of Shinto Teito. His wandering feet had dragged him back to the scene of the crime. He was almost at the very epicenter of the incident, the very point where he had unleashed Kurama upon Shinto Teito.

And killed over three hundred people, just to prove a point to a couple of Sekirei that were dead anyways.

To either side of him he felt the comforting presence of Blanc and Akitsu. They had said nothing this entire time, deigning to simply stand at his side offering what support they could with their physical presence.

"You two didn't need to come along you know." Naruto said quietly as he started up again, slowly picking his way through the rubble strewn street. "But thank you."

"I will always stay by your side Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she moved a little closer. Naruto shivered as the air chilled. Being near Akitsu felt nice after that long hot walk. It was like being beside a portable air conditioner.

"Hanabi asked me to keep you out of trouble." Blanc said as she floated closer as well.

"Again, thanks you two."

The three continued on in silence for a few more minutes, heading further into the devastation.

As they got closer to the epicenter of the incident a strange chorus of noises began to drift across the wind to their ears. The three of them exchanged looks, it sounded very much like a hymn, or prayer. Curiosity got the better of Naruto and he quickly hurried towards the source of the noise.

As they got closer Naruto noticed a rather large gathering of hooded individuals wearing red robes. They seemed to be kneeling on the ground around a larger crater.

"Oh hell no." Naruto said aloud as he realized the crater was one of the holes made by Kurama's paw. He had a bad feeling he knew what this was all about.

One of the hooded individuals heard the shout and turned to look. His eyes lit up and burned with fervour. "It's him!" He cried out in ecstasy as he quickly rose to his feet.

The others all turned as one, their eyes lighting up with the same zealotry as the first as their eyes fell upon him. There was a mad scramble and before Naruto could curse they were surrounding him.

The only thing that prevented them from actually touching him was a ring of razor sharp ice surrounding the three of them and Blanc's massive axe, raised threateningly in her hands.

"It's our lord Kyuubi! Oh this is a joyous day! You have graced us with your divine presence!" The leader of the group, a pretty middle-aged woman cried out as she stepped forward, heedless of the ice piercing her skin.

"Ah, I think you may have the wrong person." Naruto said very cautiously. He was surrounded by at least a hundred zealots. It would be a blood bath if they tried to swarm him, Akitsu would see to that.

"Are you not Uzumaki Naruto?" Naruto nodded his head slowly. A sigh of happiness escaped from her lips as her light in her eyes changed to absolute devotion and adoration. "Ah, then you are our Lord Kyuubi!"

_What the hell else did you do while you were on control? Did you go out and start your own religion or something?_ Naruto called out to his friend in the back of his mind.

_Don't ask me, I have no idea where this is coming from. I've never understood why you mortals place your faith in others, what's wrong with yourself?_

"Those markings on your cheeks! Brilliant! They shall be the sign of a true believer!" She started to rip into her cheeks as she tried to scar her face to mimic the birth marks on Naruto's.

"Wait, no you don't need to do that." Naruto said in a panic as he waved his arms wildly to stop her. "If you must insist just use tattoos!" He had to say something, anything, to stop her from disfiguring herself in his name.

"As you wish my Lord!" She said and lowered her arms to her side.

Naruto sighed with relief that he managed to evade that pitfall. There was something more pressing he had to address though. "I think there may be a mistake here." Naruto said, "I just contain the Kyuubi, its jailor, I'm not him." He tried to correct her. It was probably too late to deny that much after Minaka's broadcast, these people wouldn't believe him.

"So you admit it is true!" Naruto just stared at her, unsure what to say, "The Kyuubi is a trickster and shape-shifter! I understand, you wish to hide yourself from the non-believers and you try and trick us to test our faith!"

"Ah no tha-."

"Do not worry my Lord." She spoke over top of him, she seemed to have very selective hearing. "We shall not waver. Our devotion to you is absolute and complete! WE ARE YOURS TO COMMAND!" As one the followers of Kyuubi dropped to their knees and began to sing his praises.

Naruto stared at the woman in abject shock. What the hell just happened? When did he cross over from Shinto Teito into Crazy Town? He was literally watching a religion spring up around him with him as the focal point of it.

"Blanc, Akitsu, I need some advice here." Naruto said as he addressed his Sekirei. This was way beyond his area of expertise and every word he said was just making things worse.

"Ah, I want to be the High Priestess." Akitsu said finally after a few moments of deliberation.

"I'll go with Keeper of the Scriptures myself." Blanc followed. If this was going to happen then she might as well take control of the most important aspect of it the new religion.

"You're not helping!" Naruto shouted to the sky in frustration.

The leader of the congregation stood up and looked at Blanc and Akitsu. "So you two are the High Priestess and the Keeper of the Scriptures?" She asked in breathless anticipation.

"I am also his wife." Akitsu confirmed.

"What she said."

"Oh how wonderful that you get to stand at his side and lay in his bed!" The congregation broke out into song, singing their praises alongside his own.

"Oi you're supposed to refute her!" Naruto protested to his Sekirei. This was getting way out of hand.

Blanc shrugged, "The chances of stopping this are slim to nil, might as well take control of it in its early stages. Hanabi can be the Matriarchal Overseer that makes sure every aspect of the church works in sync. Yume can be the Head Missionary that dictates how one goes about spreading the word and Chime can be the Hymn Master, presiding over what songs should be sung in your honor." With this all the major roles would be filled with Naruto and his Sekirei and that would allow them to direct every aspect of the new religion.

Naruto was now staring at Blanc in almost as much horror as he did the congregation. He wasn't sure if she was joking or being entirely serious, in either case this was getting out of hand. "That's it! We've been here too long." Naruto said as he wrapped his arms around their waists. "We're getting out of here before things get any weirder."

In a flash of light the three of them was gone.

"Do you see that everyone! His power truly IS divine! We must spread word of 'His' coming! We shall build temples in his name and sing his praises all day and night." The leader cried out in joyful bliss at the miracle that Naruto presented before them.

There was a loud chorus of agreement and the congregation separated, heading in all directions to spread word of 'His' divinity.

**x~X~x**

Hanabi started in surprise as Naruto suddenly appeared beside her in the living room, "Naruto-kun! You're back… are you alright?" She asked noting his haggard appearance.

"Crazy Town… I just left Crazy Town… why me?" Naruto asked no one in particular.

"Do you two mind telling me what's going on?" Hanabi asked Blanc and Akitsu. If anything Naruto was even worse off now than when he left, if in a different way.

"Yes Matriarch." Akitsu said.

"Wait, what?" Hanabi held up a hand as she interrupted Akitsu. "What's this about Matriarch?"

"Matriarch. Blanc-san decided on your position. Hanabi-san is the Matriarchal Overseer of the Religion of Kyuubi. Chime-san is the Hymn Master and Yume-san is the Head Missionary." Akitsu explained in her same monotonous voice. "I'm the High Priestess." There was a note of pride in her voice as she said that.

Hanabi wasn't entirely sure if she was serious or not so she looked over at Blanc in askance. "The Religion of Kyuubi?" She had a sinking feeling about this.

"Pretty much, Kurama's appearance started a new cult with Naruto as the focal point. We… encountered probably a rather devoted sect of that new cult." Blanc glanced over at Naruto who was praying to the God of Ramen to protect him from the crazies. "Naruto didn't take it very well."

"Wait… Naruto-kun has worshippers now?" Hanabi asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

Hanabi stared at them for a couple moments as if trying to figure out whether or not they were serious. When they showed no signs of this being a joke she turned to Naruto and tried to speak but words just wouldn't form. Every time she tried to compose her thoughts they just became jumbled again.

Eventually she settled on the only thing that she could get out.

"How does this always happen to you?!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yes, clones were used on Chime, at least for a little bit anyways. Anyone that remembered Chiho's reaction to Hanabi's story about Naruto's little visit way back when would have seen it coming. And yes, Naruto IS incredibly dense when it comes to noticing others affections, this is actually canon. If it's not thrown in his face he's not going to pick it up, that's why it's always been the girls that initiate the relationships, because Naruto is too dense to pick up on the hints until the girls are at the point where they're jumping his bone.

I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. There are certain aspects of it I wish I could... I don't know, rephrase, but came up empty on how to do just that. Some parts seem a little too vulgar or in your face. Anyways hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter, like I said in the AN at the top, this was just meant to be a couple pages of internal monologue. As a result there are certain areas where things are rushed; the revelation of Kyuubi to Chime is one such scenario. Chiho was way too accepting but I really didn't want to draw out something like that for very long. Although the scene with Minaka and Takami was something I added in because I wanted to drop at least one plot developing point into the chapter.

And no, no Edo Tensei was used on Hiashi-kun. He's a real living breathing Sekirei. ^_^


	24. Chapter 23: The Aberration

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.**

**Author's Notes: I really like this chapter; I had some great fun with it. I have to say this is one of my favorites. I am slightly concerned about how I portrayed Miya but I feel that I've built up to it enough that it's not 'too' odd. (And no, it's not the winging, but it's almost as good, at least I think so)  
**

**Oh, and if you thought that last chapter threw you for a loop, this one will be even more confusing. I have more elements still to throw in your face before I start tying things up.**

**Also I came to the startling realization that I've been screwing up my dialogue quite a bit since the beginning. My punctuation at the end of the quotations was wrong more often than not, not to mention the punctuation with the following descriptors and dialogue options. I think I've fixed all cases of it in this chapter so hopefully going forward that particular grammar error won't be reappearing or at least it'll be as rare as any other grammatical mistake I make.**

**It's hard to catch all of them without a beta.**

**Review Responses:** I know many people are probably confused over the Takami and Minaka scene last chapter. It raises a lot of questions and doesn't answer anything. I gave you a tiny peek behind the scenes. However by itself it makes little to no sense. This is intentional; it's designed to get you thinking of possibilities. There are still quite a few key pieces missing from the puzzle so I'd be very surprised if anyone wasn't at least a little confused by the last chapter.

Trust me, it will all work out. Once I unveil some of the bigger pieces of information it will all start to come together.

The Religion/Cult of Kyuubi. I could do so much with this but I won't. The problem with the religion is that I can either use it as a gag from time to time for kicks or do it seriously, which would cause it to have a dominate role in my story. The latter would cause my story to derail too much so I won't be going that route. I'll still use the religion however to a small degree. Sasuke had fan girls, Naruto gets cultists. That should give you an idea of how I intend to use them.

At least for now anyways, who knows, perhaps a certain someone will lead an army of cultists against MBI in the future, we'll see how things play out closer to the finale.

It was mentioned both in the previous chapter and back during the civil war that Minaka had 12 more Sekirei at his side, Sekirei that weren't connected with the 107 under Miya's charge. Obviously they can't be canon Sekirei; they'll have to be new ones. Now I could either treat them in one or two different ways. I could either create twelve completely original characters, or I could try and leverage characters that already exist. Obviously since I revealed Hiashi I've gone with the latter option. The reason for this is if I'm going to use a plot element, I'm going to fully use it. I'm not just going to make twelve fodder Sekirei for Naruto and Co. to steamroll, although there will be some of that. I'm going to use at least some of those characters to elicit strong emotional responses from Naruto and Co. and they'd also have to be people that could realistically give them a challenge.

Some people don't like me bringing back people from Naruto's world, I understand your views I think, it seems kinda cheesy and detracts from the whole Sekirei Universe feel, but at the same time what other option do I have without simply making 12 random worthless characters? There isn't enough time in the story to flesh out twelve new characters, and I'm not sure anyone would even care if I did. Of course that being said while I am bringing some Naruto characters back, I'm not bringing back twelve, about half of them will be cameos/OC because I want some characters that I can simply steam roll over (although not necessarily will all cameos get steamrolled). I've got one cameo already decided, for the other five I'm open to suggestions, just nothing North American, gotta be anime/manga related.

**Chapter 23: The Aberration**

Yume hummed a simple tune as she walked out of the grocery store. Her hands were full of grocery bags. She was here on another errand for Miya. The landlady had so much to do these days with all the residents living at Izumo Inn. Despite the workload it was obvious she enjoyed it. Yume and everyone else all pitched in some way to make Miya's life easier.

Even Naruto-kun did, although his was in the form of monetary donation. Although most didn't realize it he was actually paying enough to cover the rent of everyone that couldn't afford it. Miya had objected to that at first but Naruto had been insistent, constantly finding ways of slipping the money into her pocket without her knowing. Eventually she just gave in and accepted the increased payment.

Despite her reluctance to accept more money from Naruto she was in need of it. The amount of food, electricity and water the extra residents used up, along with all the other bills, was more than the amount of rent Minato and Naruto provided. Now that Homura had undergone a gender transformation her job as a host was done.

Speaking of money the cost of everything in the city had gone up since Naruto unleashed Kurama on the city. People were terrified now and no one wanted to ship goods to the area. It took a lot of extra monetary incentive to bring the shipments in.

The only reason that inflation hadn't completely skyrocketed was that half the residents of Shinto Teito had fled for good. The area around where Kurama had appeared was a ghost town, no one wanted to shop there, drive through there, or even do business in that area. Well almost no one.

It had become essentially become a wasteland. Emergency response teams had stayed there long enough to pull the people and bodies out of the rubble and then fled.

There were only two groups of individuals that occupied that part of town now: The underworld and the 'Religion of Kyuubi' that had begun to spread like wildfire. The latter group had a massive spike in recruitment over the past month because of Kurama's presence. He had become a major religious icon now and had tens of thousands of worshippers. Every one of them view Naruto has the 'Lord Kyuubi' in disguise.

There was nothing quite like the physical manifestation of a religious icon to boost recruitment.

And Akitsu was taking outrageous advantage of it. She had taken her role as head priestess far more seriously than everyone else. Blanc had written up some basic rules and commandments but Akitsu had basically taken control of the entire movement. A church had even been erected in record time and she spent every Saturday morning there holding mass.

It was nice that Akitsu finally found a hobby but it was definitely a rather disconcerting one. At least they had some semblance of control over the religion so it wouldn't get out of hand. Thanks to that no one was sacrificing virgin maidens or doing anything else equally outrageous.

Thankfully no one at Izumo Inn, aside from Naruto's Sekirei, had made any sort of connection between the appearance of the nine-tailed demon fox and Naruto. That was probably for the best with all things considered. Everyone that had been knocked out at ground zero had suffered memory loss. None of them had been able to remember waking up that morning so no one knew that it had actually been Naruto that had unleashed the demon.

The worst Naruto had to worry about was fanatical cultists chasing him. Every time he left Izumo Inn for more than a few minutes he'd have screaming cultists trying to chase him down so they could touch his 'holy and divine flesh'.

Hanabi had taken out more than one over enthusiastic female that had tried to throw their naked body at him.

"Oh hello Yume-san," a familiar voice called out.

Yume was jerked from her recollection and turned to the familiar voice. She blinked in surprise when she saw who it was. "Ayesha-san! Where have you been? You disappeared almost two months ago."

Ayesha looked as she always did. Clean, pristine, carefree and happy. "Oh I thought I'd go to the store nearby and get some herbs for my tea but I think I got lost on the way back."

Lost was an understatement. "How did you get lost for months? Didn't you ask for directions?" Yume asked in concern.

"Oh I did, there were so many kind generous people that were willing to guide me." Ayesha replied. She had a hand over her mouth and was smiling beautifully.

"Well they must have steered you wrong, here, just follow me. I'm heading back to Izumo Inn now." Yume said as she started down the street.

"Oh how nice of you. Thank you Yume-san." Ayesha said as she fell into step behind Naruto's Sekirei.

"What happened to you?" Yume asked curiously. She really wanted to know how it was possible to get that lost in this city. Sure Shinto Teito was big, but two months was easily enough time to have found her way back, even by accident.

"Oh as I was leaving the store with my herbs I sort of forgot which direction I came from." Ayesha said cheerfully as she waved at some random strangers that passed by. They hesitantly waved back. "This nice man came up to me and asked if he could help me. I said I was lost and then he offered to escort me home, so I accepted."

"How did he know where Izumo Inn was?" Yume asked in confusion.

"Oh, I never thought about that. I never did mention where I wanted to go," Yume's suddenly had a very bad feeling about where this was heading. "He took me to this nice Hotel over on the west end. It looked pretty run-down on the outside but the inside was very pretty and colorful. He asked me kindly if I would stay the night there with him so I agreed." Yume's eyes began to widen in horror. "He kept touching me all night long. He seemed really sad and lonely so I helped him feel better. I don't know why he kept saying he was sorry as he thrust himself into me but I just hugged him and told him it was alright. He cried an awful lot that whole week we were together."

"Ayesha…" Yume started and swallowed hard, "That man just-"

"Raped me? Oh no, of course not," she finished for Yume. Ayesha laughed merrily and waved away her concern, "he just wanted some comfort so I comforted him."

"But he was a complete stranger!" Yume said in a strangled voice.

"So? Naruto-san was a complete stranger before I met him but he's a wonderful man is he not?" Ayesha pointed out.

"That's different!" Yume shot back indignantly. Naruto-kun never forced himself on anyone. He loved them all and they loved him back in return. That's what made it alright. That man just forced himself on Ayesha and then felt guilty afterwards.

What horrified Yume the most is that it was that Ayesha truly and honestly felt that there had been nothing wrong with giving herself completely to a total stranger. Now that Yume truly focused her eyes on Ayesha she realized that Ayesha had 'too' much love. It was indiscriminate, complete, total and absolute.

It was unnatural.

Yume sighed and tried to bring the conversation back on track. "What happened to that man?" she asked although she almost didn't want to find out.

"Oh, he's dead," her companion replied without a care in the world, "One morning I saw him staring out into the distance from the balcony. He looked so sad I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help him but I didn't know how." Ayesha looked a little sad as she tilted her head and stared up into the sky. "But then he glanced down at the street mournfully and that's when I knew how to help him! He obviously wanted out but had forgotten his wallet and couldn't pay for the Hotel room so I helped him."

"You helped him?" the bad feeling in her stomach began to grow worse.

"Yup! He was already leaning over the edge of the balcony so I just grabbed his legs and helped him over the rest of the way. That way he was able to get out of the Hotel without paying!"

Yume's look became even more horrified, "Please tell me you were on the first floor."

"We were on the tenth. He screamed and stretched his arms out towards me. I don't know what he was trying to say but he obviously wanted to be with me so I jumped out after him," Ayesha said as she skipped merrily across the crosswalk. "He might have survived the fall, I don't know, but when I landed on him he sort of broke." There was a regretful undertone to her voice at the end there.

Yume made a strangled noise in her throat, "And then it took you almost two months to wander here to this store?" Yume asked aghast.

"Oh, no, I met a couple of wonderful men that saw me land on him. They said things like threating to call the police if I didn't follow them. They seemed desperate so I went along with what they wanted."

"Oh no… Ayesha-san…" Yume couldn't believe this. How could this happen to someone like her? The worst thing is that she believed her. Yume didn't think Ayesha even had the capacity to lie, or the desire to even if she could.

"Oh it wasn't that bad. I had lots of company in that shipping container," Yume's jaw dropped but Ayesha continued on as if she didn't notice. "There were at least a hundred of us in there. Most of them were in rags and they all looked very malnourished. It was so sad that I just wanted to help them."

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Yume whispered to herself.

"We were in there days, I don't know how long. Those men said we were going on a boat ride to some place called 'Egypt.' Do you know where that is? Interesting place though, very hot and dry. I got sand in uncomfortable places while I was there," Ayesha said as she recalled the past month.

"Egypt is halfway around the world," Yume answered.

"Ah! That's right! I remember seeing huge pyramids. Anyways I did the only thing I could think of to help the people in that container."

"And what was that?"

"Well they were all starving so I figured why starve when there's a nice source of food right there!"

"No, no, no, you didn't!" Yume cried out as she desperately tried to protest what Ayesha was about to say next. There was only one source of nutrition that Yume could think of in that sort of enclosed environment, no matter how horrifying it may seem to be.

"They were very vigorous and enthusiastic about it. By the time we reached Egypt there were only five of them left but they were all quite healthy. They weren't hungry anymore. When we finally reached Egypt though they were all pretty upset about what happened. I don't know why they felt guilty but they felt the need to atone for their mistakes. So I happily agreed to help them and broke their necks. They all died with a smile on their face." Ayesha had a brilliant smile of her own as well as she described the event.

Yume stared at Ayesha in abject horror. There was something fundamentally BROKEN inside Ayesha. She was not innocent like Naruto and Hanabi had once thought her to be. This was something far different, something far worse and almost incomprehensible.

Ayesha had no concept of right and wrong, good and evil. To her life was only a series of causes and effects. She did what she felt like without any regard to morality of the action. It's not that she had bad morals; she just didn't have any in the first place or even considered them if she did. She was a blank slate that couldn't be written on.

Yume was having second thoughts on bringing Ayesha back to Izumo Inn but it was too late. The Inn had just come in sight and even if she left Ayesha now she could still find her way there.

"Eventually I found another nice man who was willing to fly me back to Japan," Ayesha said happily as she wrapped up her story, "It was a shame when his plane slammed into a bridge leading into Shinto Teito. Maybe I shouldn't have mixed that tea for the pilots. I don't know why they kept screaming 'Cthulhu is attacking us! May-day! Cthulhu is attacking us!' Do you know what a Cthulu is? Is that some kind of noodle? I've never heard of it before," Ayesha said questioningly as she looked over at Yume.

Yume would have palmed her face if her hands weren't full of grocery bags. Instead she just stared down at the sidewalk and sighed, "So, let me get this straight. You went to the store to pick up some herbs and were taken to a love hotel by a stranger that had sex with you for a week straight. Then you threw him off a balcony ten stories up, jumped after him, landed on him and killed him. Then you were picked up by slavers, shipped across two oceans to Egypt, convinced the other slaves to eat each other and then killed the ones that survived. After that you wandered around Egypt for a while until you got picked up by ANOTHER strange man, got flown to Japan where the plane crashed landed into a bridge because your tea caused the pilots to hallucinate and think they were under attack by a giant flying tentacle monster?"

"Oh you're very good at summarizing this!" Ayesha said happily.

"What is WRONG with you?" Yume demanded in total bewilderment.

"I'm not sure I understand Yume-san? I'm perfectly fine!" Ayesha said as she spread her arms wide, "See, no injuries!" She twirled around Yume happily.

Yume sighed, that was a completely different issue and probably something she would have found equally disconcerting if her mind wasn't already filled to the brim with all the crazy it could currently handle, "That's not what I was talking about…" she trailed off as she walked into the main foyer of Izumo Inn. This wasn't really a conversation she wanted to continue here.

She glanced around the room and noticed that almost everyone was here. Blanc was leaning against the wall near the door playing with a tablet that was hooked up wirelessly to the computer in her Ashikabi's room. She was so absorbed in whatever task Hanabi and Naruto had given her that Blanc never noticed her enter the Inn.

Minato was sitting on one side of the table. Kuu-chan was in his lap while Kaho and Tsukiumi were on either side on him. They looked as if they were getting ready to eat. Yume checked the clock and realized it was actually close to lunch. The smell of food wafting from the kitchen should have given it away immediately but her mind had been so pre-occupied with Ayesha's story she hadn't noticed right away.

Akitsu was there as well, leaning against one of the walls near the kitchen door as she waited patiently for Naruto and Hanabi to come down and join them. She always waited for Naruto to seat himself before she joined him.

Yume noticed that Chime was nowhere to be seen, she was probably upstairs with Hanabi and Naruto.

Matsu was sitting in the opposite corner from Blanc with a tablet of her own. She kept glancing over at the blue haired Sekirei so whatever she was doing probably had to do with Blanc. Knowing what her abilities were she was probably intercepting and receiving everything Blanc was.

The last Sekirei in the room, Homura, was lounged at the end of the table with his arms sprawled back and his legs crossed.

"Everyone, you won't believe who I just ran into… or what she's been through these past couple months," Yume said as she started over towards the kitchen to deliver the groceries.

Miya popped out of the kitchen and smiled at Yume, "Oh thank you Yume-san. This will…" Miya trailed off.

"Ah hello everyone!" Ayesha said as she slowly entered Izumo Inn. "Hello Miya-chan," She said as she addressed Miya personally.

Yume pointed a hand at Ayesha, "Everyone, our wayward sheep, Ay-." She gasped as an enormous pressure slammed into her.

The air seemed to burn as Miya glared at Ayesha with murderous intent. They could all felt the overwhelming pressure. It was highly focused and contained but all those within the room felt it even if no one outside could.

"Holy hell…" Blanc gasped out as she was brought crashing to her knees. The tablet clattered across the floor. The sheer terror that ripped through her body was almost beyond anything she had ever experienced before. The only thing that could compare was Kurama, but she had been miles away when he had been unleashed, not four meters away like she was now with Miya. She just wanted to curl up into a tiny little ball and hide in the deepest, darkest hole she could find. She took a quick frightened glance around the room and noticed that the others weren't faring well either.

Tsukiumi, Kusano, Kaho and Minato were all unconscious. Foam and spittle dribbled from Minato's mouth as he stared blankly up at the ceiling. His Sekirei weren't in much better condition. Tsukiumi and Kaho were flat on their backs and their eyes were rolled into the back of their heads. Kusano was still in Minato's lap as she stared blankly to the side.

Homura was huddled into a tiny ball as he tried to under the table in the center of the room and Matsu was curled up in the far corner staring at Ayesha with sheer terror in her eyes.

No one had ever felt Miya this upset before. Not even Matsu during her time in the first disciplinary squad, not when Naruto was nearly killed by a tank. This even paled in comparison to what had felt when Miya had found out Takehito had been killed.

The air seemed to literally vibrate and glow with murderous intent.

Like Blanc, Akitsu had been driven to her hands and knees. She shook like a leaf in the wind during a powerful wind storm and sweat poured down her face. Akitsu refused to look up. She herself had been broken once she had instantly recognized a kindred soul. She knew that something was wrong with Ayesha the moment she had laid her eyes on the woman but she could never quite figure out what it was.

Miya apparently knew.

Even Yume quaked as she gripped the wall behind her and used it as support to stay upright. Though she was the former head of the Disciplinary Squad like Miya, the worst she had to deal with was Karasuba, and this made even her former subordinate seem as gentle as a baby kitten.

Only Ayesha seemed entirely unaffected by Miya's look.

"No Greeting Miya-chan?" Ayesha asked cheerfully as she smiled into the face of death.

"And why would I wish to greet you after everything you've done?" Miya spat out.

"Aww, Miya-chan is being mean again," Ayesha said sadly, a small sniffle escaped her as she looked around the room curiously, "I don't see Naruto-kun. Oh I wanted to see him again and thank him."

The floor beneath Miya cracked and splintered as pure rage began to emanate from her.

Miya tilted her head slightly and her look became almost inhuman, "Stay. Away. **From Him**."

The still conscious residents of Izumo Inn felt the words scorch their minds with the force of a thousand suns.

Ayesha tilted her head and placed a finger against her cheek, "Him?" she asked in confusion as she acted oblivious to whom Miya could be referring to.

The TV screen detonated. Blood began to leak out from between the fingers of Miya's clenched hands.

Homura blacked out, her mind no longer capable of handling the strain.

"OH! You mean Naruto-kun! He's such a nice man, don't you think? Always thinking of others!" Ayesha gave Miya a brilliant smile.

"**If you so much as touch him…**" Miya's ominous threat thundered across the room rattling the walls.

They quaked and quivered as Miya's words threatened to liquify their bodies.

Akitsu fell, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head.

Blanc was flattened to the floor, struggling to remain conscious.

"Oh you don't need to worry about that; after all he is already so 'happily' 'married.' " The words stabbed Miya's heart like a dagger, "It would be rude of me to 'intrude' upon them. I wouldn't want to be considered 'selfish' and 'jealous,' " Ayesha said in her normal happy tone although her gaze seemed to pierce straight through to Miya's soul. "Hanabi-san is so good for him, so 'faithful' and 'loyal'. I'm glad she 'exists', he deserves someone like 'that,' " Ayesha closed her eyes and smiled brilliantly, "besides I have to take care of Kuu-chan! She's such a sweet girl."

Miya felt that she was breaking into a million pieces but she had to stay strong for them, "**Stay away from MY Sekirei!**"

The words felt like a thousand daggers piercing their souls.

Yume was driven to her knees, her mouth was open wide as she gasped desperately for breath.

"Aww, you're so mean," Ayesha pouted and a small tear rolled down her cheek, "I just want to read Kuu-chan some bed time stories, and tuck her into bed and wash her back and play with foxy-kun."

There were no more words from Miya. She looked like she was beyond the ability to form them. Matsu couldn't understand what was going on. Miya hadn't even exhibited a fraction of this rage when she had torn Karasuba apart. Why was this strange girl still alive?

Why was this strange girl completely unaffected by Miya's killing intent? Matsu was used to Miya's anger and right now she wanted nothing more than to simply end her own life to save herself.

Ayesha looked around and started in surprise, "Oh no, everyone has fallen asleep!" Ayesha turned back to Miya. "Can I make some tea? Tea is good for staying helping one stay awake."

For one instant Matsu thought that Miya was about to murder the blonde haired girl where she stood but then it was over. The killing intent was gone and Miya's face had returned to normal.

The purple-haired landlady held a hand up to her mouth and chuckled, "Oh why thank you Ayesha-chan, you're so thoughtful. It's awfully rude of them to fall asleep in the middle of your introduction. Please, use the tea I have in the kitchen, it's in the third cupboard from the left," Miya said as if nothing had happened at all.

"Thank you Miya-chan!" Ayesha said and started for the kitchen.

"Ah! But please leave your herbs on the table here. You can use my own, I have plenty in there," she said pleasantly.

"Oh, alright, thank you, please take good care of these herbs some of them were hard to get!" Ayesha unbuckled a couple bags from her waist and placed them on the table.

"All of them," Miya said before Ayesha could take a step away from the table.

Ayesha looked at Miya curiously and tilted her head in confusion, "But I did…" The look in Miya's eyes intensified, "OH! I forgot about that one!" Ayesha apologized as she knuckled her temple, "Sorry about that." She reached into a pocked inside her dress and pulled out a small bag and placed it beside the others.

"Thank you Ayesha-chan."

"Hehe, you're welcome," Ayesha called over her shoulder as she bounded into the kitchen.

Miya whipped her head over to Matsu and captured her gaze. "Wake Homura up, take those herbs and 'dispose' of them, completely. Make sure to stand far away when you do so."

"Miya-san you're scaring me," Matsu said as she slowly picked herself up from the floor.

"Good, because you should be," Miya answered tersely, "And do NOT tell Uzumaki-san or Hanabi-san about this, am I clear?" Miya stared directly at Yume as she said this. Ayesha was her problem; she would deal with that thing herself.

Yume opened her mouth to protest. Her Ashikabi had a right to know of any potential danger, especially one so close to home. But she quickly closed her mouth as Miya's gaze became more intense, right now probably wasn't the proper time to protest. Perhaps she may not be able to tell Naruto but she could protect him from Ayesha, keep her away. She had already planned something along those lines after she had heard Ayesha story on the way here. The girl was incredibly dangerous. Someone without any moral compass could do great harm without even realizing they were harming anyone.

What concerned her most was how angry Miya had just been. That much rage and killing intent made her think there was some bad history between the two of them, some VERY bad history.

And Ayesha had just shrugged off killing intent powerful enough to kill the weak hearted as if it wasn't even there.

"Miya-san… are these Belladonna leaves?" Matsu asked in concern as she peered into one of the bags. She didn't recognize everything she saw but what she did made her even very concerned. She even noticed a couple mandrake roots.

"I hope that's all there is."

Matsu quickly tied the bags up and handled them as if she was holding a bomb. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this Miya-san," Matsu said as she went to wake up Homura.

"Yume, can you finish lunch for me? Just put those groceries down anywhere I'll sort them out later. I'm going to see what's taking Naruto-san and Hanabi-san so long," Miya asked as she turned and left the room.

"Sure thing Miya-san," Yume said as she watched Miya leave the room. She knew that look Miya had sent her way. Miya wanted her to do more than just make lunch. She wanted her to keep an eye on Ayesha as well.

"What the frickin hell is going on here?" Blanc gasped as she finally managed to scrape herself up off the floor. One moment they're all getting ready to enjoy lunch and the next she got to experience what sheer terror was all about. That was nearly as bad as when Kurama had been unleashed in Shinto Teito. If it weren't for that she was certain she'd be unconsciousness right now.

"I don't know," Yume said as she stared worriedly after Miya, "I really don't know and it makes me nervous. Perhaps it may be prudent for us to keep Ayesha-san away from Naruto-kun." Yume was certain that Miya wanted nothing more than to throw Ayesha out the door but she hadn't, and that concerned Yume even more.

Blanc nodded in agreement as she shakily got to her feet.

**x~X~x**

Miya leaned against the wall just outside Naruto's room, her head bowed. She looked down at her hands and sighed, so many bad memories had resurfaced at the sight of Ayesha. Memories she never wanted to remember.

She glanced over at the door to Naruto's room and pain gripped her heart.

…_he is already happily married._

…_rude… to intrude…_

He and Hanabi had what Takehito-san and she once shared. She knew how special that bond was. Was she really intruding on that bond? Would she ruin his happiness if she tried to stand at his side?

…_considered selfish and jealous._

She wasn't being selfish, or jealous. She just… wanted to be happy again. What was wrong with that? Was she jealous of Hanabi?

…_so faithful and loyal._

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She wasn't betraying Takehito-san. She still loved him, she always would and she would always remember him. A part of her would always belong to him. He would wish for her to be happy right?

…_glad she exists, he deserves someone like that._

Every time she saw that ring on Hanabi's finger a jealous twinge would shoot through her body and for an instant she'd wish for Hanabi to disappear. She couldn't deny that. There were so many 'what ifs'. What if Hanabi hadn't existed? Would it be her at Naruto's side now instead?

The Sekirei were her little ones, they'd accept her. The only problem was Hanabi-san. If she didn't exist…

Miya squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. No, she couldn't think like that. She couldn't condemn Hanabi simply because she existed. That wasn't fair to her, to Naruto or to anyone. If Hanabi didn't exist Naruto would never have gotten involved in the Sekirei Plan and Miya would have never met him. She should thank Hanabi for this opportunity to get to know Naruto.

Even if Hanabi's continued existence meant she could never stand at Naruto's side.

"Oh yes!" she heard a familiar female voice cry out from Naruto's room. "That's the spot Naruto-kun! Deeper push it in deeper!"

Miya scowled. Here she was getting all emotional and those two are doing illicit activities in HER Inn! At least this time she'd catch them in the act, there was no way to avoid her this time.

"Oh god yes that feels amazing!" Hanabi cried out in ecstasy.

Miya stomped to the door and slammed it open. "Naruto-san! Hanabi-san! What are you two…?" her question trailed off as she saw just what it is the two had been up to.

"Is there something wrong Miya-chan?" Naruto asked as he raised his head and looked over at Miya. He was currently straddling Hanabi who was lying face down on the floor beside his bed. Most of her clothes were still on and Naruto's hands were kneading the flesh just between her shoulder blades.

In other words he was giving Hanabi a massage.

Miya sighed in resignation. She was never going to catch those two doing illicit activities. "No Naruto-san, nothing is wrong," she said a little dejectedly.

As she turned to leave Hanabi spoke up, "Miya-san! You should join us," she said with a grin. "Naruto-kun gives the best massages."

Ayesha's words flashed across her mind, "I don't want to intr-"

"Nonsense!" Hanabi interrupted Miya before she could finish. Hanabi pushed herself up and sent Naruto sprawling across the floor with a squawk. "You've been working so hard these past few days you need to take a break sometimes," Hanabi said as she grabbed Miya's hands and pulled her back into the room.

"It would be selfish of me to ha-"

"Oh I can't wait to get my hands of Miya-chan!" Naruto said with a grin, his hands making groping motions in the air. Hanabi glared at him, "I mean I can't wait to give her a massage! A massage, ahahaha," Naruto quickly corrected himself as he tried to look anywhere but at his wife.

"Lunch won't cook itself," Miya tried to protest lamely as Hanabi guided her to the futon and had her lay out flat on top of it face down.

"I'm sure someone else can manage it. Yume-san is a pretty good cook, when she gets back from the grocery store she'll finish it up if she doesn't see you there," Hanabi said, deflecting Miya's protest. Yume had done it before a few times when Miya had been pulled away to interrupt an illicit activity.

Hanabi beckoned her husband over and Naruto slowly made his way to Miya. He straddled her waist and then noticed a couple problems. Miya's haori and hakama didn't really leave any room to give her a massage and her hair went down to her waist.

"How do you normally tie your hair up?" Hanabi asked Miya as she knelt beside the landlady. She pulled out a couple of hair pins.

"Just in a bun," Miya replied distractedly. She felt Hanabi gather her hair and tie it up in a nice bun so that it was out of the way.

"Miya..." Naruto started as he analyzed her clothing critically, "As confident as I am about my massages it's rather difficult to do it through clothing and your garments…" he trailed off.

"I trust there will be no wandering hands?" Miya asked curtly.

"Of course not! I am a perfect gentleman when it comes to my massages. I'd never touch a place you didn't want me to," Naruto said indignantly. Of course if Miya DID want his hands to wander well then all bets were off.

Naruto took her response as her acceptance. He quickly untied the straps that kept Miya's hakama secured. Once the hakama was loosened he pulled the haori out and slid it off Miya's body. She helped by raising her arms. Once free he handed it to Hanabi who carefully folded it and placed it beside her.

Miya didn't resist as he slowly pulled the hakama down to her rear. Once done Naruto couldn't help but admire Miya's flawless skin for a moment. This was the first time he had ever seen her topless, although the frontal view was blocked.

"Well, I guess it's time to work the tension out of those muscles!" Naruto said with a smile as he began to knead the flesh around Miya's collar bone. He immediately realized just how tense and stressed out her muscles were. Whether she knew it or not, she actually needed this.

Miya began to moan softly in pleasure as Naruto slowly worked the kinks and knots out of her muscles and tissues.

Naruto knew there were many different types of massage techniques. He wasn't sure which one his belonged to. He used a combination of chakra sensing and chakra pressure in his. He used his chakra to scan the body and when he found a disruption of the chakra flow or tension in the muscle he would work on that area. He'd use physical pressure to work the knot out and chakra to relax and sooth the area.

Hanabi had told him it was actually very arousing. A massage like his normally made people feel very good and relaxed but when you added the soothing chakra to it as well the feeling became a lot more intense.

As Naruto continued to work Hanabi struck up a conversation with Miya. She kept it light, talking about normal things such as the weather, dreams, family, hobbies and the latest news. She even mentioned how she originally felt nothing for Naruto and was only at his side to fulfill the dream her sister never could. She went on to describe how that had changed over the years. Now she was certain that her love for Naruto was truly her own, and not just the fulfillment of her sisters dream.

Miya responded when she could but Hanabi ended up doing most of the talking. Hanabi couldn't really fault the landlady, Naruto was very good.

Naruto could see a noticeable difference in Miya's body has he worked his way down her back. The tension was draining out as she relaxed and enjoyed the massage. He worked his way down the center of her back first, focusing on the muscles around the spinal column until he reached her waist. Then he worked his hands outwards and began to move back up the sides of her back making sure to work the tension out of the muscles in her sides as well.

As his hands reached her chest Naruto looked up and Hanabi nodded curtly. Miya's eyes were closed and she had almost completely stopped responding to Hanabi. It was time. Naruto massaged the muscles under Miya's arms and then worked his way down until he reached the sides of her breasts. He began to carefully massage the sides of her breasts and the areas around the base of those bountiful mounds.

Miya didn't voice a single complaint.

He paid her breasts extra special attention as he worked around the sides and base of them with the undersides of his fingers. He was limited in what he could do with her face down but he managed. His touch was light and gentle as he kneaded, stroked, squeezed and massaged those soft mounds.

After several minutes of concentrated attention in that area Naruto worked his hands back up and began to journey down again. Hanabi quickly repositioned herself and pulled the hakama, being careful to include the undergarments, the rest of the way off leaving Miya completely in the buff.

Miya still had yet to voice a single complaint.

Naruto's hands worked their way down to her rear. He began to massage them vigorously as he applied deep pressure to the area. There were key muscles in this part of the body along with important nerves. It was actually an important area to relax and loosen. Although it's normally a compliment Miya's ass was very tight and was in dire need of his attention. It definitely needed a good massage to loosen up.

Once again Miya didn't voice a single complaint. Naruto would have thought she was asleep if it wasn't for the soft moans emanating from her throat.

Once he was certain he had worked all the tension out of her rear end he worked his way down to her thighs. As he worked those muscles through he couldn't help but glance between her thighs. Although her legs were closed he could still see a small amount of the mound hidden there and he noticed something very interesting, but not unexpected considering what his massages did to Hanabi.

Miya was very aroused.

Naruto only gave the area a quick glance however and quickly went back to work. He wasn't here to ogle Miya; he was here to help her relax.

It was almost thirty minutes later when Naruto finished with her feet. He had paid special attention to that part of her body. There usually weren't too many tense muscles in the feet but a good massage there was always very soothing and relaxing. You could completely change a person's demeanor from angry to blissfully content with a good foot rub.

"She's fallen asleep," Hanabi whispered as she checked on their landlady.

Naruto glanced over at her face and had to agree with Hanabi's assessment. She was completely asleep. There was a gentle, content smile on her face as well. She looked so much more relaxed now than when she had first arrived.

The two of them carefully pulled the futon cover out from under Miya and covered her with it. They'd let her rest here for now. Hanabi folded the rest of Miya's clothing and placed them beside the haori. They'd be there for her when she woke up.

The two slowly rose to their feet and looked at each other. Their expressions changed and suddenly they no longer wore gentle smiles, their eyes became as hard as diamond. Hanabi reached behind her head and pulled off the seal Naruto had attached there. He had written it hastily on a spare piece of paper.

_Thanks Hanabi, I've never seen Miya that unsettled before_. Naruto's fingers flashed in the ANBU sign language that only the two of them knew.

_She's a proud woman that one. _Hanabi's fingers flashed through the hand-signs. _She's like me in many ways. To see her like that was disconcerting for me as well, she was rattled badly._ Naruto agreed with everyone his wife said. Miya was a strong woman; he didn't like to see her like that either.

They had known instantly that something was wrong earlier.

Miya may have kept her killing intent contained, but Ayesha had not, and that had warned them that something was very wrong. Hanabi had quickly used her eyesight to peer into the living room and Naruto had used a seal to join his sight with her own so he could see what she saw.

Both of them could read lips.

They saw how certain words hurt Miya. The massage session was designed to counter-act those words, refute them through actions.

Naruto hadn't really been in the midst of giving Hanabi a massage when Miya walked in. Everything had been an act to get Miya into the room and under Naruto's hands. Miya needed to feel like she was accepted, like she was wanted. She needed to have the tension drained from her system, for her worries to be washed away. Hanabi had been able to easily read the conflicting emotions on her face as she came towards their room. Naruto had come up with the plan to help her. He didn't even enjoy the massage as much as he should have. He treated it like he would have a mission. There was a task to get done and he did it. Even the massaging of Miya's breasts was calculated to make her believe he cared about her as a woman as well as a friend.

It didn't matter whether or not Naruto truly desired her or that Hanabi would actually accept her, all that matter is that Miya 'believed' that he did and that she would.

The entire thing from start to finish had been a very calculated manipulation of Miya's mental and emotional state to counter the damage Ayesha had done to it.

_Should we kill Ayesha?_ Hanabi sent.

Naruto shook his head, _No, not until we know more, we may be able to use her._ Ayesha was not on their side, neither of them had suspected it but they should have. She was obviously connected to Minaka somehow, that was the only way he could have known about Naruto's plans to attack Mikogami Hayato. Naruto was kicking himself for not throwing her in stasis like the others. However since she was connected that meant he could use her to feed that bastard false information.

_Don't get too ambitious with your plans. Sometimes it's better to simply eliminate an enemy instead of trying to find a use for them._ Hanabi flashed back. She did not like Ayesha at all. The pressure they had felt when Miya and Ayesha had clashed was strange. It was all-encompassing, engulfing. It didn't try to destroy or intimidate them, but assimilate them.

Enslave them; make you desire nothing more than to obey. They were trained to resist unwanted manipulations like that so it wasn't an issue to resist it for them, not at that level. However in lower doses where they wouldn't notice as easily…

That's what had happened to them earlier. They had accepted Ayesha because she had been subtly manipulating their feelings for her but she hadn't done anything so overt that they would have noticed it.

Now that they knew about her nothing she could do would affect them. She had landed herself squarely in the middle of their dangerous individuals list and they would be automatically suspicious of every single action she did from this moment forward.

_If I feel she is starting to get out of hand I will end her with or without your consent._ Hanabi signed, Ayesha was incredibly dangerous. If Hanabi noticed even a hint that Naruto's Sekirei were beginning to favor Ayesha over him she'd end Ayesha's life instantly.

_You already have it._ Naruto signed back. He knew what Hanabi was afraid of. He wanted to use Ayesha, but not at the expense of those he cared about.

_We need to create a new hideout._ Hanabi signed as she brought to his attention a new problem, a rather significant security issue.

Naruto agreed. Ayesha knew about Charlie Point and all its secrets. Delta was destroyed and Beta wasn't much of a hideout in the first place. With her at Alpha point every base had essentially been compromised.

It was time to create Epsilon Point.

**x~X~x**

Naruto and Hanabi slowly made their way downstairs to the foyer. Naruto's massage session with Miya had lasted well over an hour. Lunch had probably already been served. That was fine; neither of them were particularly hungry anyways, not after what that just happened.

"How is Miya?" Chime asked as she appeared at Naruto's side. There was a concerned look on her face.

"Better now, much better."

Miya would probably be asleep for a few hours at least. It was probably best that Naruto wasn't there when she woke up. Someone would need to be though otherwise all their work would be undone. It would probably have to be Yume.

"That's a relief, she looked pretty bad coming up the stairs," Chime said as they entered the foyer. She had been with Naruto and Hanabi when the confrontation started. Like Naruto and Hanabi she knew something was wrong immediately and had put Chiho to sleep just to be safe.

While Naruto had joined his sight with Hanabi's she had opted to leave the room and hide at the top of the stairs. While she hadn't felt any of Miya's killing intent she was more than capable of hearing what had been said. When Miya had started to come upstairs she had fled to the washroom. The fact that Miya never noticed Chime was a testament to just how disturbed she had been. When she saw Miya enter her Ashikabi's room she felt it was better not to return. She had gone out the bathroom window instead of the door and had circled around to the front.

"Hanabi-san! Naruto-kun!" Yume waved at them from the table. "I kept some lunch warm for you."

True to her word there were two bowls of udon soup sitting on the table waiting for them. The smell was absolutely mouth-watering. Yume must have gone all out to make sure it was just perfect. One bowl wouldn't be enough for Naruto but it would have to tide him over until dinner.

"Thank you Yume-san," Hanabi thanked her as she took a seat at the table.

"It's not a problem Hanabi-san, I know how hard you and Naruto-kun worked."

She didn't need to specify what work she was referring to. Yume always seemed to be more aware of what was going on around her than her nature would suggest. She was almost as uncannily omniscient as Miya sometimes.

"Ayesha's back," Blanc informed Naruto and Hanabi as she entered the foyer, "She's outside playing with Kusano right now." The blue-haired Sekirei quickly moved to her Ashikabi's side and sat down.

"Really? Where has she been this past month?" Naruto asked, pretending he was ignorant of her return.

"Love Hotel, Shipping Container and Egypt," Yume answered with a deadpanned expression on her face.

"Wait what?" Naruto asked in surprise and confusion. The others in the room shared his reaction. For some reason Ayesha and those three locations just didn't mesh very well in their minds, even after the confrontation with Miya.

"I'll let you know more once I've sorted out all the crazy I've heard today," Yume murmured as she rubbed her temples.

"Where is Akitsu?" Naruto asked as he looked around. He couldn't see the ice Sekirei anywhere.

"She's outside keeping an eye on Kusano and Ayesha," Blanc said as she leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder. Akitsu was the best one to watch her. The devotion she held towards Naruto was borderline fanatical.

"Alright, well let her know that Hanabi, Blanc and I are heading out for a bit. We'll be back for dinner," Naruto said as he stood up, his lunch was finished; there wasn't even a drop of soup left in the bottom of the bowl. "Bring your tablet with you Blanc."

They were going to go shopping for new places to buy for Epsilon Point. With the money taken from Mikogami Hayato they could buy any house they wanted now in Shinto Teito so that wasn't a factor like it was last time. They'd be able to find the perfect location for their next hideout.

And they didn't want Ayesha getting wind of it so they were going to take care of business away from Izumo Inn.

"Naruto-kun remember to wear a disguise. If I have to drop one more screaming fanatic you're sleeping outside!" Hanabi called after her husband as he walked out the front door.

Naruto waved his hand and transformed into a middle-aged man in a business suit.

On the way out Hanabi paused to whisper into Yume's ear, "Can you watch over Miya-san for us?"

"Of course," Yume whispered back, she'd make sure to be there at Miya's side when she awoke.

"Thanks," Hanabi said and waved farewell. She quickly hurried after Naruto who was already leaving the property and heading for a nearby internet café.

**x~X~x**

Miya yawned and stretched as she slowly woke up. She buried her face into her pillow and breathed in deep. It had such a wonderful scent, it reminded her of Naruto. A soft smile creased her face as she remembered that wonderful dream she had. Naruto and Hanabi had accepted her with open arms and she had been given such a wonderful massage.

She could still feel the heat of his hands as he massaged her chest.

Miya blinked as reality instantly came crashing down. She pushed herself up and stared at the pillow and futon she was on. This wasn't her room, the pillow wasn't hers and neither was the futon she was sleeping in.

That was when she realized she was completely naked. She glanced to the side. Her clothing was folded neatly beside her exactly where she had remembered Hanabi folding them in her dream.

Her eyes widened even more and she quickly turned and sat up. She held the futon cover up to her chest to preserve her modesty. Yume was kneeling beside her beside with a small smile on her face.

"Good afternoon Miya-san, did you have a nice nap?" The brunette asked.

"I… yes, yes I did thank you," Miya said as she glanced around the room. This was definitely not her room, it was Naruto's.

"It's still a couple hours until dinner so you don't need to hurry and rise. I handled lunch; there is still some soup in the fridge if you would like a late meal."

"Thank you Yume-san," Miya replied and let the futon cover drop. It was just the two of them here so modesty wasn't something she needed to be concerned with.

Miya folded her arms around her stomach and lightly brushed her sides. Even now she could still feel Naruto's touch on her body. It made her feel warm inside, remembering those gentle hands rubbing the tension and worry from her body.

Ayesha had been wrong, Miya could see that now. That woman had always been like that. She existed to destroy the bonds between others, whether she knew it or not. Miya felt foolish for taking her words so seriously.

Miya's face flushed a little as she remembered the warm tingling sensation she felt as Naruto's hands wandered to places they should not have. Heat began to build up again between her legs as she remembered his soft hands caressing her breasts.

"That wasn't a dream was it?" Miya asked softly.

Yume shook her head and her smile widened, "No, it wasn't. Miya-san, you should not turn away from love. One does not need my eyes to see how much you care for him. You know Takehito-san the best, would he wish for you to move on and be happy, or cling to his memory at the cost of happiness?"

Miya thought on that. Takehito-san had cared for them all, her especially. He had always opposed the Sekirei Plan in its current form. He had been one of the few that knew what it was supposed to have been, the others being Takami and Minaka. Takehito had tried to stop it, Takami knew that it couldn't be stopped and simply went along with it to help control it. Many of the rules of the game had been created by her to help control and civilize the Sekirei Plan.

Even outside of the plan Takehito had done all he could to help others; this Inn was proof of that. He had always fought to protect and create smiles on the faces of others. He had loved her smile.

Miya had not smiled a true smile since the day Takehito-san had died.

"Takehito-san loved his research, but he never hesitated to reach out and help others. He wouldn't wish to see any one sad," she murmured as her mind traced over all the memories she had of her first love. He wouldn't wish to see her sad. Ultimately he sacrificed his own life for the sake of others. He would not have been opposed to her falling in love again.

"Then tell Naruto-kun you love him."

Miya flinched and quickly replied, "It's not that easy Yume-san." The two of them had a close, but odd, relationship. At times they were at odds with each other, at other times they shared an owner/tenant relationship and then there were those few precious moments when they spoke as close friends.

It was difficult to go from all that to lovers, and more. She didn't want to risk ruining the relationship they already had by taking that next step.

And then there was also the problem of…

"You think Hanabi-san would be against it," Yume stated simply. She could see the conflicting emotions inside Miya. Her eyes were special, they allowed her to see an individual's feelings, but more than that, she was able to see how deep their connection was to each individual. Each emotion had a different color to it, and each person had a different shade of that color.

"Hanabi-san is Naruto-san's wife," Miya said softly, she didn't want to come between them.

"Yes, and I think it's a beautiful thing," Yume agreed as brought up a hand and held it over her heart, "and soon I'll be Yume Uzumaki, as will Blanc, Akitsu and Chime. We all intend to have that ring on our finger too."

Miya looked at her unadorned fingers and imagined how they would look with a gold band around her ring finger. Takehito-san hadn't lived long enough to give her a ring, they hadn't been together long enough to even be intimate.

Miya felt herself longing for more than just a life as a widowed landlady.

"You don't have to decide what to do right away," Yume said as she slowly stood. "But love is too wonderful to ignore and toss aside, and your love for Naruto-kun shines bright. If Hanabi-san's reaction to your feelings concerns you then talk with her, interact with her. The closer she is to you, the more likely she is to accept you." From what she heard Hanabi had practically thrown Chime at Naruto. She was not opposed to more women; she was just opposed to random women. "I still don't believe she would reject you even now, Naruto-kun makes Hanabi-san out to be more trouble than she actually is because he enjoys teasing her." With that Yume quietly exited the room and left Miya to mull over her thoughts, and her feelings.

And she had a lot of feelings to sort out.

**x~X~x**

Later that night found Miya on the veranda. She had a hand up to her ear to hold back her hair as it waved gently in the breeze that blew through the yard. It was a peaceful night and sitting here gave her the chance to relax after the hectic day she just had. All told there were fourteen people living here at Izumo Inn. Ever since Naruto had arrived it had steadily filled up and now it had actually reached its maximum capacity. Minato and Naruto each occupied two rooms. Ayesha had her own room, she had her own, and Homura still maintained his as did Uzume, although she went by Chime now.

She never thought she'd see the day that her beloved Inn was as full and lively as it was.

Although she could have done without that monster being here. Unfortunately she wanted to keep Ayesha where she could watch her. Out there, in the streets, she could systematically destroy every Ashikabi and Sekirei bond with ease.

She felt her approach long before she arrived, Miya knew this conversation would happen, out of all her charges she was the one most likely to want answers.

"Miya-san?" Matsu asked as she came in sight of the landlady.

"Yes Matsu-san?" Miya asked as she sat on the veranda and looked out into the yard. She picked up the cup of tea that was sitting beside her and sipped on it. She had prepared it for herself; she didn't trust Ayesha unless there was someone there to watch her.

Matsu swallowed nervously. It had taken her the rest of the day to regain her wits and gather enough courage to approach Miya. "Matsu-tan was scared this morning. But she wasn't scared of you. Why was Matsu-tan scared of her?"

"She is an aberration that should not exist," Miya answered her softly, her good mood lost now, she hated remembering that thing. "I was doing my utmost to neutralize her. I won't let her…" she clenched her fists tightly as pain, sorrow, and frustration flashed across her eyes, "Not a second time. Never again."

Now Matsu was more scared than ever, "Why not…" Matsu's mouth twisted as if she swallowed a bitter pill. "Kill her?" Matsu asked, cold-blooded murder left a bad taste in her mouth but Ayesha scared her, badly.

Miya closed her eyes and sighed softly, "Because I already have…" Miya trailed off as she thought back to the past. After a few moments of recollection she opened her eyes and stared up at the moon sadly.

"Twice."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Cthulu is a tentacle monster, it just doesn't usually fly. That's how badly the pilots were hallucinating.

Naruto and Hanabi manipulated Miya. Sneaky Shinobi!

'It didn't matter whether or not Naruto truly desired her or that Hanabi would actually accept her, all that matter is that Miya 'believed' that he did and that she would.' - That statement I will need to clarify because I know so many people will misconstrue it and I can't figure out a better way of phrasing it in my story. That statement in no way indicates how Naruto and Hanabi feel about Miya. It's simply there to state that their feelings were irrelevant at the time and that situation would have played out in exactly the same way regardless of whether they hated her or loved her. Again if you are using that statement to try and determine how Hanabi and Naruto actually feel for Miya you are misinterpreting it.

There were hints that Ayesha was more than she seemed in the earlier chapters. The observant would have caught it, maybe? Anyways Naruto not locking her up in stasis, how Hanabi accepted her so easily, Sasha's psychic barrier erecting itself when Ayesha appeared, how easily Ayesha seemed to agree to being kidnapped and how easily a clone that was meant to be a Yakuza bruiser seemed to accept her are just some of the hints. Subtle and almost unnoticeable if taken by themselves but there if you looked hard enough. There was another even more subtle hint; you needed to play Atelier Ayesha to have picked it up. Nio and Ayesha are sisters. That should have been a warning flag for those that played that game. Now for the fun part, trying to figure out what she is. ^_^


End file.
